Dusk
by Dresner1817
Summary: After leaving the Hex girls after some untold events, Dusk finds herself out on her own. Karl Dael is an outcast with enough luck to find a home. When their two paths collided, the two become inseparable. But will figures of the past break the dream Karl worked so hard to create? And what of the Hex girls? Follow through the eyes of Karl on his journey of Love and Loss...
1. Chapter 1: helping hand

_**DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE RIGHTS TO KARL DAEL, HE IS MY CREATION. BAND NAMES, SONGS, GAME REFERANCES, AND SCOOBY DOO GO TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THEM. **_

_**DANKE!**_

_**-DRESNER**_

The road twisted and turned before finally straightening to a long stretch of thick naked oak trees leading through the dense back roads of rural northern new england. Snow covered the sides of the road and piled into the drainage ditches like marshmallows. Besides the ever present moon and amber headlights of my Tacoma truck, everything around me was covered by the dark hand of night and seemed to strangle every bit of light around it, but that did not bother me as I drove farther down the country road hitting every pot hole on the way home.

"Damn Yankees, Even the roads in Birmingham are in better condition than this!" I said to myself with a yawn as I drew closer home, the trailer park. It has been over a year since I left rural Alabama for the great white north for a better life as a store manager of Eddie Bauer in new york, to move into a normal town with no battered and broken dreams or memories of days gone by. To live in a house of my own and have a life...

Well at least I have half of it, A trailer is not much but it is something. As are the friends I have met over time. The dimming green of my radio caught my attention as the clock turned over to the new day. "12:00am already?" I yawned annoyingly till the Florissant lights of the old shell station came into view. My failing head lights shined on the bullet ridden sign with numerous holes in and around the shell symbol. I turned into the station lazily and managed to throw some snow about as I pulled in. The old pumps were at least from the 70's or older and the sheet metal roof was twice that, but that did not matter. This station has been here as long as anyone could remember, even since the days of the counter culture or longer. The local outcasts always hang around here to smoke cigarettes and speak of days gone by, people just like me.

The glass and bar door swung open with a loud squeak like a dying rat as I entered. An old brass bell hung above the door and rang vaguely to alert the store manager who was to busy singing a Johnny Cash song to pay attention to my entrance. The clerk was an old man of about sixty or seventy years old with a head full of grey hair and heavy framed glasses covering his face. The clerk was counting his inventory of tobacco products and managed to count to the beat of 'Gods gonna cut you down.'

'Go tell that long tongue liar

Go and tell that midnight rider

Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter

Tell'em that gods gonna cut'em down

Tell'em that gods gonna cut'em down'

As the clerk sung and I could not help but greet him with the lyrics to one of my favorite Johnny cash songs. I sang with him in unison till he turned and laughed, "Karl, how the hell was work this evening?" He said reaching out to shake my hand. "The usual Eddy, another night of busting my ass for that dollar!" I said with sarcastic joy as we shared a laugh.

Edward 'Eddy' McDaniel is the local proprietor of this old station and has been the manager, CEO, and owner of this station since 2008. Eddy came from Richmond Virginia with a dream of coming to New york and becoming a business man. But the fast lain life of manhattan and the cut throat price of living only allowed him to become a bartender at a local bar on the unfortunate side of town. Soon he save enough of his money to rent a trailer just a block from me. We drink together on occasion and even I come to work with him when he is in need, either taking a sick day or a vacation just to help my first friend of the north with his business.

"Has another shipment of Marlboro black 100's come in today?" I asked eddy as I hung around the contour checking out the new inventory. Eddy grabbed a clip board on the other side of the contour and flipped through some papers to find my brand. "Nope, not today son. But I do have Red 100's if your interested." Eddy offered kindly. "Nah, I'll just stick to the canuks. Cheaper!" I chuckled, pulling a pack of Canadian smokes.

Eddy through up his hands and laughed as I walked toward the back to pick up my usual coffee and snack for the road before returning home. The windows caught my attention as they began to fog up from the strong heater in the station, a sign that the tempter was dropping further.

"Ugh, more snow!" I grunted as I reached the back where the best pork reins were. "This is nothing, Alabama man! I've seen worse!" Eddy remarked as he kept on counting his smokes. "Yeah yeah." I said rolling my eyes to him as I made my way to the coffee machine. Out of all of the things in Eddie's store, the coffee station, as he called it, was the most up to date part of the station with a six coffee makers placed in rows of three with large coffee pots under each one labeled either Regular, Decaf, Columbian, Euro, Green tea, and an extra for anything else the limited amount of customers that visit his station would want. A metal rack held creamers and milk for the drinks as was a assortment of glass sugar gars like the ones at a dinner that sat by them.

While I was standing by the coffee machines the slight ring of the brass bell rang caught my attention. 'Who's up at this hour besides me, eddy, and the drunks?' I asked myself as I peered over the shelves to see the door.

"Ma'am you do understand that it is way to chilly to wear just a long dress and a hoody right?" Eddy asked a feminine figure in full southern accent. I herd a slight hiss and the 'click-click' of boots against the dirty tile floor coming toward the back of the station. The sound of hands rubbing against each other caught my attention as well as the cold air that rushed through the store as she entered the store. Soon the figure came down to the coffee station with her green dress moving side to side showing off her pale legs little after little. Her purple ankle boots gave her an extra inch or two to make her at least my height, but were covered with white snow to show me that the snow had picked up outside.

She wore a black hoody over the top of her dress with her hood up coving her head and face from the cold and maybe from others around her. I could not see her eyes as she was keeping her head to the floor to avoid the people around her it seemed like. Her finger nails were painted black and seemed to fit perfectly with her pale skin as well as the rest of her clothing. As she drew closer I felt something awaken in me, something that wanted me to meet her and talk with her.

"Ugh, is there anything beside coffee and green tea at this thing?" She hissed, annoyed at the selection in front of her. "Hmmm..." I hummed as I reached into the rear where eddy would place the coffee cans and pull out a few packets of Coco mix and held them out to the peculiarly dressed girl in the hoody. She looked up at me and in the florescent lighting I could see her face outside of the black hood. Thick black eye shadow was painted over her dark eyes, inthralling me with their beauty at first glance like a hunter stumbling on to his trophy. From her eyes I looked down at her beautiful golden blonde hair that soon gave way to the two tone black and green lipstick that she was wearing on her lips.

"Oh..." She said, defiantly not expecting a response from me. "Thank you." She said as she looked for a cup around the mess that was the coffee station. I gave a little chuckle as I found a cup for her and poured a cup of hot water for her. She gave a little laugh as well and thanked me once more before pouring two packets of coco into her cup and string it quickly. "This place needs to be cleaned some day, that or just organized." I remarked as I poured a cup of euro blend coffee into my cup. The girl nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I've seen my sisters rooms look better than this." She said with a brief smile before coughing into her hand.

I looked over to her and took another brief look at her before she took a quick drink of her coco. she breathed in relief after the first gulp of the hot coco and I could sense some happiness as she stood there with the cup in her hand. I could not help but smile and took a sip of my coffee as well. But soon I saw her searching her pocket franticly for something. "Where is it?! Where is it?!" She whispered loudly as she search her hoody pocket for something. She then grabbed something in her pocket and then breathed another sigh of relief till she remembered something.

"Fuck, no money.." She said as she looked back to Eddy at the front of the store and then saw me and started to back up a little bit. Amused I reached into my back pocket and grabbed my wallet, "Here, I'll pay for your coco. By the look of the weather your going to need all the warmth you can get." I said in a friendly and caring tone. She looked at me a little strange but closed her eyes for a moment. It was strange, but something about felt... Right almost. After a tense moment, she gave a smile that showed off her perfect smile with two large fang like teeth on the side of her smile. "Thank you..." She said as I motioned my head toward the register.

Eddy gave me a discount since I was a on and off employee of his, It was not much but it saved me a little at a time. "Y'all be save now, you here!" He said as we walked into the December snow. I looked around outside to see only my tacoma and eddies F-100 sitting in the parking lot.

"Excuse me miss, but where is your car? I only see mine and eddie's trucks out here." I said as I pointed out to our trucks. The girl paused and started to stutter with her response, "Well um you see that... Uhh.. Oh forget it, I don't have one." She admitted and her pale face turned red in embarrassment. "Wait a minute, Did you walk here?" I asked her. She looked down to the ground with her face pointing to the ground. "Yeah... I was... kicked out of my home today..." She said with a small tear falling from under her hood. "I see, well do you have some where to go?" I asked her as a cold wind covered us with snow. "I don't know!" She said as the wind picked up and I could barley hear her for a moment. "Maybe to canada or some where far away from my sisters. Somewhere to..." "Get way from it all? From the memories?" I asked her as the feeling I had inside returned. "Yeah... How did you know?" she asked me as she turned to me with her beautiful eyes and a tender smile.

"It's something I would much rather keep to myself..." I said drifting off into thought till the wind picked up again. "But, I digress, would you like a place to stay till the morning? It is a better alternative than freezing in this weather." I offered to her as the snow began to pick up.

The girl held out her hand to collect the fresh snow in her palm. She let out a sigh and calmly she nodded her head, "It beats freezing in this weather." She gave me a smile and walked with me to my truck, stay close to my side with her hands in the front pocket of her hoody.

"I'm Karl by the way, Karl Dael. It's a pleasure to meet you, ms..." I said giving a late introduction as I turned around and began to walk backwards. I let out my hand to shake hers, but she hesitated for a moment once more. But as before, she let out a smile and shook my hand with a surprisingly firm grip.

"Muffy, Muffy "


	2. Chapter 2: That night

The park was not far from the petrol station, about a mile or so down county road 13. The oak trees began to thin out to bare minimal as we passed a large plantation farm with large fields that looked more like the ice fields of greenland rather than farm land. Tractors, equipment, hay bails, and others were covered in the blanket of ice and snow that sparkled in the full moon above. The snow gave a brief reprieve as we neared the park and we both could see the beauty of the snow covered farmland, "Beautiful isn't it?" I asked her as we passed by the fields. "Totally..." She said with a light smile as she took off her hood to reveal her head and face fully. Muffy's hair was neck high with two green with baubles like hair ties to hold them in place. As well as green triangle earrings with a black choker around her neck along with a neckless with an X hanging from it. In the moon light her pale skin schemed to twinkle along with the sliver bumps in her choker.

'I swear ive seen her before..' I thought to myself.

"Damn its hot in here." Muffy said, taking off her hoody to show her green dress off fully. 'She has to be at least twenty or so' I thought to myself as I managed to get a glimpse of her beautiful frame in that dress of hers, making me smile with excitement. "All I have is a heater in this truck, cold air is broken." I told her as she pulled out a golden object of some kind from her pocket and opened it to show a picture of her with two other goth girls. They did not look like Muffy, but I guess it was her best friends or something. I turned on the radio to the local rock and heavy metal station and managed to catch the tail end of a hailstorm song. "Damn, that was one of my favorites." Muffy said as she put the locket away between her breasts. " 'I miss the misery' is one of their best in my opinion. That and 'Love bites' is another one." I replied, before another song came over the radio.

"Alright guys, this is your host Carrie and your on the 'Midnight rush' on TK101." The announcer said, "Alright to kick off a wonderful full moon, Her is a song from one of the rising bands out of Oakhaven. This is the Hex Girls!"

"Awesome, they are kicking the night off right!" I said with a smile as 'Earth, wind, fire, and air' played though my speakers. Muffy seemed strange as the first few notes of the song began to play and a small hiss came from her as she turned the radio down. I did say anything, but I could sense something that was killing her inside when the song was played. 'Maybe she does not like the song, or something else.' I thought to myself, hoping I do not step on a metaphorical land mine.

"Ah we're here, Welcome to the park." I said as we pulled down the gravel road toward a rather small trailer park. "You live in a trailer park?" She asked me in surprise. "It's not as bad as you think" I explained, "The older trailers are about to be moved out of the park in a matter of days, I moved here when they had the newer models being delivered and since I made friends with the drunk of a trailer park manager. I get a special rate that I pay, in exchange for volunteer work here at the park in form of helping the community, moving trailers, collecting rent, and other odd jobs that Jim wants me to do."

"Ahh, I see. So your like the 'Do everything guy' right?" Muffy said with a chuckle. "All day, everyday." I said with a smile and a laugh. "Here we are, welcome to my home."

We pulled into my snow and gravel covered drive way at a newer model trailer near the back of the park over looking a field with trees scattered in the field. I bought the trailer after my third month of living out of my truck after I became friends with eddie. I unofficially replaced Eddie as the trailer park supervisor and due to my unofficially title, Jimmy gave me the trailer as a sign of my position. We walked up my snow covered porch to my door and let her in to my home.

"Sorry for the mess, I usually just have the boys over for drinks. But make yourself at home, alright muffy." I said as I took off my coat and boots putting them near the door. My trailer had wooden floors with a rather up to date kitchen with granite counters and high grade wood for the cabinets with all the modern appliances to bring it all together. The Living room was connected directly to the kitchen and was only divided by a drop in the floor. A couple of black colored couches that eddie and I refurbished a few months back sat against the walls in an L shape with blankets covering them. An air mattress sat between the couches to act as a half ass table with a piece of large glass over it so I could eat off of it when I can. The old big screen TV my dad gave to me sat against the wall as well as a ancient VCR and DVD player that I got at a pawn shop sat on top of it.

"Wow, I like your place." Muffy said as she looked over my trailer with a smile. "I know, I know, Ghetto as hell eh?" I laughed as I finished off my coffee and threw it away. "No, its nice." She said, before walking toward my collection of DVD's on a shelf near the TV.

She scanned my collection of Horror, Action, and other movies till she started squealing like a little girl. "You have 30 days of night!?" Muffy squealed with joy with the DVD case in hand. I nodded, "Yeah, I also have the sequel as well." "Wicked!" She said with joy as I turned on the TV and to my surprise the weather report finally came through. "Damn, it looks like a blizzard is coming through the upper park of new england." I said as the weather radar showed snow fall up to four inches covering from Newfoundland toward the bottom of new york. I looked over at muffy who was a little disappointed in the weather. "By the looks of it a nice winter walk is out of the question, same thing with driving." I told as I observed the huge front moving on the north.

"Yeah..." Muffy sighed. "Here, let me get you set up in the spare bed room before I forget." I said putting the DVD into the player and letting the trailers play. We walked to the back of my home as I gave a little tour of my home while I was at it. "Down the hall to the left is my little office I use for work, I'm a manager of a store as well as a do everything guy here at the park and the gas station." I told her as we passed my makeshift office in one of the smaller rooms. "Here is the spare bed room." I said, opening the door the almost spotless spare bed room.

The spare bed room was rather basic with a queen size bed with camouflage bedding with two night stands next to it with a clock radio and a lap on them, Along with a old entertainment center with a TV on it in front of the bed near the wall. Pictures of hunting trips from all over clad the walls, mostly me or my buddies and their trophies.

"It may not be your kind of room, Muffy. But its all I got if you do not want to sleep on the couch." I said to her as she put her hoody down on the bed. "It's nice, but can you take down the pictures... I'm not a hunter.." She said as the pictures gave her a disgusted look. "Yeah sure." I said, aiming to please her as I began taking down the pictures and moving them into my office. Muffy tool her ankle boots off and cracked her toes, "Ugh my feet are killing me..." She said with a sigh of relief as she laid down on her back on warm bed.

I walked to the back of the trailer to my room and emptied my pockets before for changing into a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt for comfort after a long day at work. I came back to the guest room to get muffy for the movie, but as I opened the door to get her I saw her crawled up with her legs in her dress and her head propped up on a pillow. "Aw, How cute." I said in a whisper as I grabbed a blanket from the couch and covered her with it and shut the door quietly as I walked back to the living room.

"Ugh, damn coffee is keeping me up." I said, as I threw my ass on the couch and flipped through the channels to pass the time. But something caught my eye on one of the channels...

"The Hex girls have broken up! Muffy St. James, AKA Dusk, walked out of the tour bus later today for unknown reasons. Leave the Hex Girls S.O.L on the american tour."

The announcer on MTV said as a slide show of photos from the hex girls past shows flipped through my TV screen.

"I need a cigarette..."


	3. Chapter 3: Embers

Clearing the snow off one of my lawn chairs outside, I took a seat for a smoke break to get my head rapped around the events that lead up to me having one of the most famous drummers in the up and coming of alternative rock sleeping in my trailer! How stupid could I be not to notice this sooner!?

"Damn I have to quit this habit of mine!" I said to myself in a frustrated whisper as my lighter couldn't get a light. I threw my lighter into the snow along with my smokes as well and walked back into the house to grab my old acoustic guitar from my closet as well as my leather jacket and alpine ski cap for warm. I sat outside for a few hours playing a few songs I knew including the guitar song from metro 2033 till the dawns light came over the tree line. I looked at my watch and to my surprise it was 5:30 in the morning!

"Ugh, stress is keeping me up all night..." I said as I watched my breath linger around me as I saw winters beauty all around me. "Hmmm maybe one more song and I'll take this day to get some sleep." I said as I began playing the cords to the metro song once more as the yellow orange ball of fire that was the sun came to view. As I played the song I began to wonder about the sleeping girl in my spare bed room, sleeping soundly with a wool blanket instead of the egyptian cotton sheets and covers of some five star hotel that I would think she would be use to. I couldn't help but to feel like I could have done more than this. But I guess it is just in my nature to worry about helping folks I barley even know, Maybe that is what my father gave me when I was growing up. A pure heart that just helps those who need it the most, It's sure as hell helped me and burned me more than once. I can't help but wonder if Muffy or Dusk, or whatever she wants me to call her, if she would just burn me or not.

'Why am I thinking about all this? I barely know this girl!' I thought to myself as the song ended and I put my hands over the guitar to rest my fingers.

"Why did you stop?" Dusk asked me as she stood in the door frame rubbing her eyes. I gave a smile, "Good morning, That was the end of the song or at least as much as I know of it." I said as I began to think a little bit clearly as the susprise of seeing her up this early, let alone listing to me play my instrument. She saw that I was a little surprised to see her and gave a short smile before taking a seat on the metal arm of the chair I was in. "Well, I herd you playing all night so I sat by the window and listened to you play a few songs. I guess we both did not get any sleep last night." Dusk said with a yawn, stretching her arms out.

"Sorry if I kept you up with my playing, I only play if i'm thinking of something or just a little stressed." I replied to her as i tightened the cords of my guitar nervously. "Karl, its fine. Your better than Thor... I mean... Uhh.." She said, before covering her mouth with her hand. I stood out of the chair and put my hand on her shoulder, She moved back a little but seemed to let me toucher her. Knowing Dusk from interviews on MTV she only let her sisters, Thorn and Luna, put a hand on her in any form. One of the reasons why she was never seen on a dating seen was because of that.

I looked into her eyes and saw something along the lines of 'help me/get away from me kind of look', Some I use to give.. But something was calming her, as if she was giving me unspoken permission to put my hand on her. "Muffy, I know your a Hex Girl." I said in a friendly tone. She gave a laugh, "What took you so long to figure that out?" Dusk said sarcastically. I knew she was joking by the smile she gave after ward. I laughed, "Yeah Yeah, It was early in the A.M. Anyone could have missed you." We shared a laugh as I put the guitar in its case and walked into the house. Muffy then stopped me as I was about to enter my room and asked me, "How did you know about me and the Hex girls." She asked me.

"From those blood suckers on MTV, those assholes will sell the lives of performers on an international scale for nothing but fancy paper and fame." I told her in my own way as I put my guitar in my room. "They said that you broke away from the band during the tour. What was that about?" I asked her kindly. Her stance changed to more of an aggressive stance, but soon she replied with "I'll tell you when I feel like it."

"Ok, Ok, Ok. I guess that is a little tender, so question. What do I call you? Your real name or you nickname?" I asked her as I threw on a black T-Shirt over my shoulder and a pair of jeans as well. "Whatever works, I don't care." "Whatever you say, ms. " I said with a laugh as I walked to the show. "Don't call me that! I'm not some old bitch!" She yelled with her trademark fierce comebacks. "Alright Dusk, I'm going to wash the morning funk off of me and we can go where ever you like. Sound good?" I yelled to her from across the house.

"Yeah, sounds great!" She replied with a slight chuckle at the end of her sentence.

Dusk soon in the kitchen as karl went to clean himself up after a long night. 'This guy is not from around her, for sure.' She thought to herself as looked around in Karl's room. A large painting of large white tail deer drinking at a stream sat above his large queen size bed. Home made laps sat on his nightstands as well as a couple of pictures of him and, from looks of it, his dad together and another with his brother. "Hmmm I guess good looks run in the family." she said in a whisper as she sat on the bed and looked over the pictures.

"No way! Wicked!" Dusk said out load as she saw swords that hung on his walls. One looked like a samurai sword of some kind and the other she could not recognize at all. It was gothic, it was what attracted her to it in the first place as well as the look of it was vampiric in nature. She reached for it and to her surprise it was very heavy at the front. Almost pulling her to the ground with it weight.

"You like his sword, eh?" I said, as I cleaned my ear with the towel. I caught her by surprise and her eyebrow rose to see that I was shirtless. "Uhh yeeaah! This is awesome! Where did you get it?!" She asked me as she put the sword on my bed. I put my shirt on quickly and began to explain.

"I went to Germany a couple of years back to visit my family and my crazy cousin Timo. So much fun and a lot of it I had to forget after a few drinks." I chuckled as I picked up the sword. "Me, Timo, and a few of his friends took a trip to romania to see home of the real Dracula, Vlad the impaler. We passed through a village where the Fortescu castle was and we found a local knife vender and I found the sword of Vlad the impaler, The Kilij. Traded a couple of your bands T-shirts, some america cigarettes, and about forty euros. Its 100% authentic, but to bad Vlad himself did not use it though. Would be worth more." I said as I handed the sword to her. She gripped the sword like a trilled child with only one hand like a movie star on the set of a medieval flick, but the weight of the front heavy saber caused her to loss some balance.

"Ha ha ha ha, This is badass! I should got one when we shot 'Wanna wed by I fled' at the castle! Thorn and Luna would have a cow once they saw this!" Dusk said in amazement of the awesome might that was the Kilij. But soon she got an evil look on her face and looked at me, "Is their anything we can fuck up with this!?" She yelled in excitement as she looked over the blade. I laughed even more and took out my phone to give a call to a friend of mine.

About an hour later...

"That it muffy! Lean into your strike, it gives more power!" I yelled as Dusk took out a mix of aggression and excitement as she struck a heavy bag with the form of a swordsmen with the Kilij. She was alive! Throwing all her strength and emotion into that saber as if it was apart of her. Sweet dripped from her forehead and her heavy breaths burned with enjoyment of the power that she held in her hands.

Dusk threw one more full power strike with Kilij into the heavy bag and will all her might cut the bag in half. As it fell from the tree her swing was still in full motion and struck the tree that held it in place. Cutting deep into the tree and destroying the bark on the side, tree sap dripping on the blade like blood of a fallen enemy. "Holy fuck!" I yelled in amazement as Muffy destroyed the old heavy bag and cut into the old oak tree as well. "That... was... Awesome!" She yelled in ecstasy as she pried the saber out of the tree.

"I guess I owe brother travis as new heavy bag. Still, great job fucking up the old one!" I congratulated her as she handed me the saber and began to clean it off with a wet rag.

"That was just, oh my god I can't describe the feeling I had with that thing in my hand!" Dusk said as the adrenaline in her body was still coursing through her body like a gladiator in the arena. I nodded and laughed as she described the feeling she felt, "It was like the concert in new york all over again, but with a sword instead of drums! Holy shit I want one."

We spent the first half of the day screwing around with my saber and a few knives till we ran out of energy, and things to cut, and fell on to the couches with sweat dripping from our bodies after the feast of destruction that we under took with our blades. Dusk was breathing heavily and happily as she took long gulps on her ice water. "Karl today has been wicked! I've never done something that fun before!"

"Anytime dusk, anytime." I said till my phone rang. "Sup bud! Jon tyler, what is up?! Yeah. Yeah. Alright I'll be down there in about an hour. Later bro." Dusk looked at me and ask who was that. "Jon Tyler Morgan, A buddy of mine from the park. Jon Tyler and myself started a small band not to long ago for a bar that the drunk of a park manager started as a way of not killing himself from his divorce. Calls it 'Black tuesday' after the divorce, strong drinks for cheap!" I laughed as I rolled off the couch and went for a drink.

"Your in a band?" She asked me as I went for a coke. "Just a band that plays songs from great metal bands and others. We're a bar band, Free drinks and an extra 200 bucks for my troubles." I said as I popped the top and took a few sips of my coke. She laughed and rolled over putting her hand on her hip, "You are a 'Do everything guy' aren't you?" She said with a sweet flirty tone, completely out of character for her!

I gave a chuckle and shot her a look back, "Almost everything, So do you want to tag along muffy? Maybe a true musician could help the 'Wolves of the Ardennes' with some pointers."

She laughed out loud and stood up with both her hands on her hips, trade mark of the diva that dusk made her name for on MTV.

"I'm not a musician, I'm a Rockstar!"


	4. Chapter 4: Fire

Black tuesday was founded about a year ago today after Jimmy's divorce from his wife Barbara after 20 years of drinking and cheating on one another. It was once a heavy red neck bar till the former owner shut it down and moved to maine of all places. So jimmy, being the impulsive drunk that he is, bought the place and hired some of the folks out of the trailer park to run it. Including Jon Tyler, Eddy on occasion, myself, and the Santo sisters work at the bar when we can.

Eddy took over as head bartender, The Santo sisters were servers of booze, while Jon and I ran as the band. Our third was one of the three santo sisters, Claire, Carrie, and Mary lee on either vocals or drums. But they were testing mine and Jon's patients more and more after every song. Mostly we preformed songs from popular bands like Hailstorm, Avenge sevenfold, Disturbed, and other bands from both europe and america.

As we pulled into the empty parking lot, Dusk looked around and gave a little scoff. "What is this dump?" She hissed as I parked the truck and got out. "This is Black tuesday. Local watering hole for all of the former southerners who found the trailer park, as well as some of the local flavor as well." "Southerners?" She asked in her diva voice. "Yeah, people from past the mason dixie line. You know, the home of country music, fried food, and good manners. Maybe I should take you there to learn some manners, make a southern bell out of you Ms. !" I said with a laugh as i picked at the annoyed dusk. "Fuck you karl." She said sarcastically with a little laugh at the end.

As we walked through the door to the rather well lit bar that was Black Tuesday with its home made oak bar and tables placed around the room. A pool table sat in a corner near a flat screen with a soccer match on the tube.

Posters, pictures, and others plastered the wall. Mostly pictures of Jim and a few of the locals doing what they love. Partying, fighting, driving trucks, shooting guns, and just anything that their heart could content. A few pictures of me with some of the others around the park were their, mostly either playing on stage or help renovating the bar. Their was also a few pictures of a few guests that stopped in our little enclave including the lead singers of Five Finger death punch, hailstorm, and even from a few european bands like Raubtier and Rammstein have visited our bar unofficially.

"Wooow! I've only seen these guys on TV before!" Dusk said as she looked over some of the american band members that I had taken photos with. "You've met some of these guys in person, haven't you? I mean, your world famous in the rock world when the Hex girls were together. I'm surprised you haven't met any of them." I said in surprise as I began a trip down memory lain with a bright smile. "I drank with the boys of Raubtier till we broke a couple of tables in a bar fight with some french canadians. They gave me a guitar a few weeks later as a thank you gift for the fun they had, good folks I say." I said pointing at the picture with Raubtier when I grew a Go-T similar to that of their lead singer Pär Hulkoff.

"Who's those hotties?" Dusk asked in a girlish voice, ultra rare for her! "That is Rammstein, those are some of the most well known bands in Europe. Their crazy in all points of the word, but are some of the greatest self sufficient musicians that I know of. They were on tour here not to long ago, spent a night in jail after some act on stage they did I don't know. Got to drinking with them and we broke every bottle pounded down! Damn it was some fun!" I said with joy as my accent kicked in. Dusk laughed and gave me another flirtatious look. "I bet... Nice accent by the way." She said with a smile and came a little closer to me to where she was rubbing on my arm. I turned my head to her with a smile and saw that she had a kind of dreamy look on her face.

'What is up with her? This is not Dusk...' I though to myself till I herd footsteps coming toward us. "Karl! You made it!" The short, but built figure, of Jon Tyler called for me. I turned around and shook my buddies hand, "Jon, great to see you bud!"

Jon Tyler and I have been friends since grade school in Trussville, Alabama. After a few tense moments between me and my parents, he offered to come with me since he wanted to make a name for himself in new york. But, just like eddy, faith had a way of changing that and Jon became a freelance carpenter. It was because of him that Black tuesday became as nice as it was. He was the definition of a 'Juice head', Orange skin, big mussels, gelled up hair, and a little man complex, but none the less a true friend.

"Who's the chick?" Jon asked rudely as he pointed with his thumb to Dusk. "Who's the guido?" She replied before turning around and flashing her fangs at Jon. Jon stepped back in susprise, "What the fuck? Vampire!" He yelled as dusk and I laughed together. "Chill dude," She said as she caught her breath and reached into her mouth. "Their fake, just a gimmick for the band." Dusk said, moving the fake teeth up and down to scare him.

"Jon this is Muffy, Muffy this is jon. I hope that will clear everything up a bit. She's going to stay with me for a bit till the storm clears." I said, introducing them to one another formally. "Yeah cool." Jon said in hast as he motioned me to the back of bar. "Come on, theirs some shit I got to bring up bro. Serious shit bro." I turned to dusk as she put the fangs back into her mouth.

"Hey babe, I got to discuss some shit with Jon in the back." I said to her without catching that I called her babe. "Take a look around and I'll be back in about five or ten minutes." I caught her a little of guard by calling her babe and she could not help but blush and smile. "Yeah sure, wait did you just call me babe?" She asked me, quickly regaining her shield of arrogance and tough exterior. "Yeah, I did didn't I?" Before I could finish my sentence, Dusk kissed me on the cheek. "Be quick about it, baby." She said softly as she went back to checking out the bar.

A tingling feeling filled my body from my cheeks down to my toes as a large smile appeared on my face. My hand was placed on where she kissed me as I walked to chat with jon.

"Bro, Do you know who the hell that is!? Thats Dusk from the fucking Hex girls dog! You tappin that?!" Jon said crazily as I stood their in the back of bar. "I'm not even with her man and yeah I know who she is. Found out who she really was when MTV came on, and you think your star struck!" I said laughing about when he jumped back from her. "Fuck you, ha ha ha ha!" he laughed, playfully punching me in the arm.

"But for real, We got some bad news, worse news, and good news. First bro, the santo sister are out! They are all stuck in new york due to the storm, Thats the bad news. Good news, I got your Ex-hoe on the phone and she can do bass. But we..."

"Jon, even though jessica is my Ex, I would rather you just say my Ex rather than calling her a hoe. We're from alabama, not Atalanta Georgia!" I said with firmly but with a laugh at the end to lighten the mood. "Alright alright, Look man we could use her for tonights concert to cover drums." Jon pointed at Muffy and she soon pricked up her eyes when she herd the tail end of the sentence.

"Hold up, Hold up, Whats the worse news?" I asked him before this went even farther. Jon paused for a moment and threw up his hands. "Jim's Thinking of getting rid of Black Tuesday..."

"What the fuck?!" Like a slap to the face I yelled out in utter shock. "What the fuck is Jimmy fucking thinking?! We fixed this place up for nothing! Now that fuck is selling it, for fucking what?! Booze money!?" I yelled in blood rage anger. "Who the fuck bought our bar!?"

"I don't know, but who ever wants to has something big in mind. Something about building a factory for scooby snacks or some shit, Jimmy was ultra vague about this shit." Jon said shrugging his shoulders. "Karl, why are you spazing out?" Dusk asked me as she walked over to the bar. "Nothing baby, just some shit that me and the boys can solve. I'm sorry if I sound like a jackass right now, just... God damn it Jimmy... Ugh I'm going for a smoke. I'll be back."

As Karl cussed and charged outside for a smoke, Dusk took a quick look around the bar at some of the pictures of karl. "Hey guido, come here for a sec!" She yelled to jon who reluctantly came to her. "Whats up buffy?" He teased her. "Fuck off with the names before I knock the gel out of your head. Who's the brunette with chimney sweep here?" She said, teasing her love with a little nickname. "Oh yeah, that's Jessica Lockhart." He said pointing to the petite girl in the daisy dukes and blue top standing next to karl. "Are they still, you know..." She said trying not to seem sketchy. "Together, Nah. Karl broke it off because she was stealing from him and almost sent him to jail on a trumpet up charge in some town called Oakhaven. Something about selling blasting power and other explosives with out a permeant to the..."

"Hex girls... I remember him... He looked a whole lot different back then..."


	5. Chapter 5: Humble Beginnings

**Ok, so far I've been able to pump out a chapter a day. Along with putting more on Hearts of Iron, Fictionpress story I have under the same name as here, I've manage to put a lot into both. This chapter might confuse some people, but give it a read and you'll find out.**

**I own nothing, but Karl, my characters, and my interruptions of the Hex girls.**

**Everything else is owned by those who made them.**

**~Dresner**

Last year- Oakhaven Autumn fest

"Don't worry Ms. Mcknight, these are top notch pyrotechnics. I learned from the lead singer of Rammstein when I went to germany back in the day. The guy puts flamethrowers on his arms and face on stage, this is nothing!" Karl assured Sally McKnight, A.K.A Thorn, as he loaded the flash power launchers onto the Hex girls stage as Thorn, Luna, and Dusk readied everything before the autumn fest began. "You think you could put up a shield or something to protect us against evil trees and super turkeys?" Luna asked him as he finished a few of the launchers and worked on some few fireworks as well.

"Shit, if you want me to fight the paranormal then I should have brought my Bow and sliver tipped and blessed arrows!" Karl joked. Dusk was playing with her drum sticks and gave a little laugh when she herd the stage guy's remark to Luna. Luna rolled her eyes and went right to practicing on her key board. "Why not just let me read from a spell book and send them all to the underworld?" Thorn said as she tweaked her guitar as Karl came by with a new flash power launcher.

"Hear, these will replace your older model launchers. Smaller and can fire a small flair of any color you want for added effect. If you preform at an area the size of the stadium in nimes france, These flares will light up everything as bright as the sun in whatever color you want." Karl said, putting the compact launcher on thorns arm ever so carefully. Thorn gave a smile to the Go-T'ed and lightly built pyro expert in his jeans and black leather hooded jacket. "Sweet, thanks karl." She said before returning to her custom bat guitar.

Karl soon walked over to Dusk as she began motioning her sticks for her acts, but soon lost focus as the eyes of her and the oddly dressed stage guy. He winked at her and she could not help but blush a little as he walked to her to install some new features on her drums.

"Excuse me for a moment, please." Karl asked kindly. "Yeah, sure make it quick. Stardom is calling me!" Dusk said in her diva like manner to hide the fact that she was blushing as he came by. "Good christ, this new england weather is murdering me." Karl said, taking off his jacket to reveal a black muscle shirt with the word 'klokateer' written on the back of it. She could not help but say what was on her mind, "Are you a dethklok fan?!" She asked in surprise. Karl finished putting in a special launcher for her drums and turned to her, "Yeah, their fucking wicked for a animated band. Couldn't help but order one of these for any work they need me to do." Karl said with a smile. "Your a fan as well?"

"Fuck yeah! The gears and laser cannon deth sentence are the shit! The drums are killer in that band!" She said with glee to find another fan of Dethklok. Karl and Dusk talked about music and bands for at least a good ten or twenty minutes before Thorn called for the girls to get ready for the show. Karl rushed to finish the last few preparations before the show, jumping around and checking the launchers and smoke machines.

"You girls are going to freak when you see the powder in Dusk's launchers, It will bring the show all together!" Karl yelled as he walked off the stage toward a near by van for the building company. "Karl! Come on! We have to finish setting up these stands for the show!" Jon Tyler yelled as a truck pulled up with the last of the stands to put together for the show. "Lets go bro!"

Dusk watched the 'klokateer', a she knew him, walked over to help finish the building of their concert. But soon she returned to practicing for the concert, but still could not help but think about the nice 'Klokateer'. After an hour or so of quick work on the stands and another final check of the stage they build for the Hex girls. Karl walked to give Dusk as run down on the surprise he had installed for her drums.

"Alright Dusk, This might be a basic stage for y'alls first festival. But I think that this will make a lasting impression on any scouts in the audience." Karl said as he primed the pedals at her feet. "These are special, a little extra I'm doing for you. Hit these when the show is about to end and it will bring everything together." He said with a wink as he pointed to the pedals. Dusk gave a small smile, before she realized it she was staring into his green eyes with a look that even she never gave her sisters before.

"Dusk! Quit flirting with the stage guy and get ready, show starts in like an hour!" Thorn yelled to her sister. Dusk rolled her eyes and threw her middle finger to her sister with a in your face look on her face. Karl shook his head and went back to work but could not help to walk backwards to take a good look at the Eco-goth rockstar in the green dress and black chocker. Dusk looked out of the corner of her eye to see that he was still looking at her. 'I wonder what his real name is?' She wondered as she motioned the beats to 'Earth, wind, fire, and air' with her drum sticks.

Soon after karl walked off the stage and people began to flood near by stage. Some of the guys on karl's crew were heading to the trucks and leaving to beat traffic to grab a bite to eat, but he stayed behind and watched as the show began near the front of the stage.

All was quiet as the fog machines began to activate and the sound of the amplifiers hushing as was the people around him. The wind picked up in a dramatic fashion, blowing some of the fog away from the stage where Thorn stood with her hands out like a vampiric goddess. But she was not karl's interest... Their behind thorn sitting on the drums with her drum stick straight into the air. The nervous, but confident, look on dusk's face only served to inthrall him even more into her.

"Hit it Sisters!" Thorn yelled as 'Hex Girl' began to play.

I'm gonna cast a spell on you

You're gonna do what I want you to

Mix it up here in my little bowl

Say a few words and you lose control

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you

I'm gonna put a spell on you

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you

Put a spell on you

You'll feel the fog as I cloud your mind

You'll get dizzy when I make the sign

You'll wake up in the dead of night

Missing me when I'm out of sight

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you

I'm gonna put a spell on you

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you

Oh yeah

With this little cobweb potion

You'll fall into dark devotion

If you ever lose affection

I can change your whole direction

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you

I'm gonna put a spell on you

I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you

We're gonna put a spell on all of you

The people in in ecstasy and began to cheer and scream in joy. The girls were in full bloom, enjoying every moment of the concert with their energy radiating from their bodies. A few more songs played and the girls made use of the custom pyrotechnics that karl hooked them up with. The crowd was thrown into a storm of aww once the girls activated their launchers and other goodies. The show began to run its corse as the final song sounded over the amps and the fog machines came to life with light yellow and orange fog. More people moved onto the stage and sat up their gear quickly as the roar of thorns guitar brought the crowd back to life one more time...

Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air.

We may look bad but we don't care.  
We ride the wind, we feel the fire,  
To love the earth is our one desire (to love the earth is our one desire).

Love the earth it's only fair,  
It's one big earth and we must share.  
We love the earth with all our fire.  
It's in our souls our one desire.

Karl looked over the crowd once more and then on to stage to see a group of almost out of place kids playing with the girls on stage. "Hey! Who's the Dog and the crowd on stage?!" I yelled to one of the people next to me as the song thundered in the back ground. "That's those meddling kids from mystery inc.!" A girl yelled to me as the last few notes played of 'Earth, wind, fire, and air'.

Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air.

We may look bad but we don't care.  
We ride the wind, we feel the fire.  
We love the earth is one DESIRE!

The girls shouted 'Desire' at the top of their lungs and shot off the last of the launchers for the big final and waved once the last of them had discharged. Dusk was waving and loving every moment of the cheering and whistling of the crowd. Sweat was dripping from her face and her hands from the constant drumming. She looked around at her soon to be fans and saw that her 'Klokateer' in the front row looking at her with a large smile on his face. She could feel he gaze of joy on her and he could feel the same. Almost as if it was a spark from faith telling her she had found someone that would love her...

Dusk smiled and hit the pedals that karl set up for her and two large blasts shot into the sky and exploded above the crowd into two large Green and red bats over the crowd.

The girls could not believe the display that lingered above them as the fireworks that the 'Klokateer' hooked them up with was of such high grade for almost close to nothing. The glow on their faces and the crowd cemented their career in 'The business' as did the red and green glow of the bats as they lingered in the skies above oakhaven. Soon the amplifiers and microphones fell silent as the crowd began to thin out to their cars as the show stoping display signaled the end of the autumn fest. The strange kids who apparently saved the town from a ghost of some kind loaded up in there van and left after a long good bye behind stage after the show.

The girls began to pack their instruments into their instruments into there cases as soon as the crowd finally clear. After a few autographs from up and coming fans along with the lack of energy lead the girls to want to leave for the comfort of there home. "Need a hand?" Karl asked the girls as they worked to pack up there things. "Yeah, thats what Klokateers are for!" Dusk said in a fierce but friendly tone as she tossed one of her drums to karl who caught it on the spot. "Ooooh helpful and responsive, you trying to get a tip?" Luna said sarcastically as she put her key board into its case. Karl laughed and shook his head, "After a killer performance like that and the kindness of your drummer there, I say my cover charge is free." He said as he collected dusks drums together.

"Thanks... Uhhh... Whats your name?" Dusk said as she trampled her words as if she was kicking herself for not asking before hand. She twirled her drum sticks around nervously and dropped one of them before Karl could reply. She blushed nervously to pick her drum stick up, but karl beat her to it and handed it back to her.

"Karl, and anything for a fellow Klokateer." Karl said with a large smile as Dusk slowly took the drum stick from his hand. Their eyes met once more and even Thorn and Luna were picking up on the vibe that Karl and Dusk were on. They snickered till Dusk finally came back to her senses and started to load her drums into a van for there gear.

After a few moments of loading all the gear up into the van, Dusk walked to karl who was busy finishing loading the gear. But Thorn and Luna intercepted her course and began talking to karl, laughing like girls right out of high school. "So Karl, how did you like the show?" Luna asked him as he finished packing the van. "Fucking awesome, those charges really brought it together eh?" Karl remarked, happy with his work at the show tonight. "Yeah the turn out was killer, but theirs something we got to ask you." Thorn said, cutting to the point of coming to talk with him. "Do you like..."

"Hex Girls! Hex Girls! Ha Ha! That show was magnificent!" The mayor shouted as he approached the Hex girls. "You have single handedly put our fair town on the map because of this performance! Oakhaven, The home of the Hex Girls! So much better than home of the giant turkey." "Yes girls, your performance has made me so proud we should go to jacks for dinner to celebrate!" Mr. Mcknight said as he hugged his girls. "Mr. Mcknight, How have things been since we last met?" Karl asked him with a laugh as they shook hands. "Never better, Karl. I've got some amazing news for you girls! A producer from a record company in new york wants you to cut your first record!" Mcknight said, ignoring karl's question as the girls cheered with girlish screams as there dreams were coming true. Karl was happy for all of them, but as usual he was focused on getting his job done with.

"Mr. Mayor sir, If your town ever needs anymore assistance in rebuilding anything. Please contact as and ask for me personally, Folks from south of the mason dixie line know how to get it done and get it done right." Karl said handing the mayor a business cards from BKB Construction Co. and Klein entertainment. Karl also handed another card to the Hex girls as well, "If you girls ever need anymore of those 'Gotham city cutters' I call them, don't feel hesitant to give me or Klein entertainment a ring." He said, winking at dusk as he closed the door and walked with the mayor to discuss business.

Mr. Mcknight and the Hex girls stayed around to chat a bit about the show till Mr. Mcknight left ahead of time to reserve a table for them. The girls stayed behind and began to gossip about Dusk and her 'Klokateer', "Dusk are you into that Stage guy?" Thorn asked her sister who was getting pissed with every question. Dusk stuttered and finally stormed off after Luna started making a kissing face and talking in the deep voice like karl has.

"Oh dusk, my beauty, you so fucking hot! Come here and..." "FUCK OFF LUNA!" Dusk yelled as they walked off through the woods towards jack's dinner.

Meanwhile...

"Mr. Mayor their is no charge for anything when it comes to the Hex Girls, that is on me and me alone. The reconstruction of the village is still on the table when it comes to payment, but it will move along as as planned." Karl said, discussing the deal between the mayor and his superior, Sean Devillin SR. "Karl, Are you sure about the free stage set up and the pyro job? This was not cheap you know that right?" Sean replied with a chart in his hand of the expenses that were being made by the company in the reconstruction of the puritan village.

"Take it out of my pay, But just think! Look at the costs now, just think when they become huge they will have their agents contracting us for everything! We will make a killing!" Karl said, moving the subject toward business. "Karl, even I know money is tight for you, But since your volunteering to give up your pay to help some band. I'll kindly look the other way, on the other hand Mr. Mayor. We have only about $75,000 in damages and I think a deal can be struck." "As long as the job gets done!" The mayor said before Karl walked off toward the exit to get in his truck for the drive home.

'The other guys will get the rest, I need a vacation.' Karl though to himself as he pulled out a pack of cigs for a quick smoke. "Karl Dael." A voice said as karl finally got a light on his cigarette. Behind him were two officers of the law with guns drawn, demanding that he get on his knees. A petite brunette was behind him with a look of scorn on her face, "Thats him officers! He's the one who stole those bomb making stuff to that band! He doesn't have shit to his name!" The girl yelled. "Jessica! What the fuck are you do?!" Karl yelled as he backed up as the gun wielding pigs came closer. "I'm fucking legal you juiced up cock suckers! Check my papers their in my truck!" Karl yelled as the cops pushed him against his truck.

"Shit..." Dusk said as a haunting look took over her face and dropped her fork onto the floor of jacks dinner. "Muffy sweetie, are you alright?" ask her. "Yeah, are you alright?" Her sisters asked in unison. Dusk was frozen in her seat as she closed her eyes to see into the not so distant future to see her 'Klokateer' in trouble. Dusk sprang into action and rushed out of the dinner at breakneck speed to help him. "Dusk! Wait up!" Her sisters yelled as stayed behind to cover the table.

"Punks like you should be locked up at birth!" One of the cops yelled as karl struggled in his hand cuffs. "Check my fucking truck you pigs!" Karl yelled as jessica played the 'scared innocent girl' gimmick and even threw in a sob story of how karl beats her, Karl's sister Sandra was in a abusive relationship for over a year and he was the one to finally put that guy in jail. He was the last person to put a hand on any woman in anger!

"Karl Dael, you have the right to remain..."

"What the fuck are you doing officer griffin!?" A fierce voice yelled as the cop was interrupted. "Ms. St. James, you are interrupting official business!" One cop yelled to her. "Dusk! Help me! Get the papers out of my glove box! That bitch is trying to frame me!" Karl yelled before the officer punched him in the back of the head. Dusk rushed to the passenger door and opened the glove box to grab his papers. "Here! Karl is legal, so fuck off!" Dusk yelled with blood rage at the two jackass cops as she pushed officer griffin off of him and pushed the papers into his face. The officer looked over the papers and made his partner look over the papers in the computer.

Karl turned over and looked at dusk who was still on high alert and starring down the cop like a leopard on its prey. It wasn't till his partner came back with the report, "He's legal, but we might have to do a check on the tip. Ms. lockhard, your coming with us." The cop said taking the cuffs off of karl and putting them on jessica.

"Sorry about the mix..." "Fuck off griffin, I should have your badge revoked!" Dusk yelled petting the back of karl's head as the cops walked away with jessica who was screaming and cussing karl's name as the cops carried her off. Dusk's demeanor changed completely as a more caring side took over. "Are you alright 'Klokateer'?" She asked him with a soft tone as she rubbed the back of his head with her hand. Karl rubbed the back of his head and cracked his neck. "Yeah I'm fine, that bitch is a psychopath. I'm leaving her out to dry on that one." He said as he put his jacket back on as some cold autumn wind came though.

"Who was that chick?" Dusk asked as she crossed her arms to keep them warm. Karl threw his smokes in the truck and turned to her, "That is my girl, or should I say was for all I care. This shit isn't cool..." He said as he slammed the door to his truck. Dusk was confused, "What kind of girlfriend tries to put you in jail!?" She asked with some rage in her voice. "Exactly!" He said till the sound of his stomach grumbling interrupted him. Dusk gave a girlish laugh and took him by the arm, "Come on, lets get you something to eat." She said, pulling him down the sidewalk toward the dinner.

**Quick run down- Dusk and Karl knew each other during the Autumn fest, but she could not recognize him because of the lack of his Go-T. Trust me, when someone who has a lot of facial hair shaves it then no one will recognize you. I should know, I grew a Go-T over the summer and when i came back no one could recognize me at all. Along with some more explanations will be given in Chapter 6. Please Review!**


	6. Chapter 6: Kick in the teeth

"I managed to talk jack into giving him a free to-go plate and ate with him in the parking lot. He's a strange guy, but very sweat and caring for his friends. I... Kind of looked up to him till we left the next day for new york. He told me that we would meet again some day... I knew I recognized him from somewhere." Muffy said as she and Jon tyler stood in the bar. "He knew we would see each other again."

"Yeah he shaved his Go-T after that shit, Jessica or anyone for that matter could not recognize him! He had that beaver on his face since we moved here! Now he just has a little shadow on him."

"Alright, Alright, Alright. I'm back." I said as I finished my cigarette of the day. "Ok, from what I can get from all of this shit Jimmy is either running out of cash because of his habit or two some one is putting the squeeze on him." "Karl, Jimmy hasn't sold the bar itself. Only the land, but the bar is on the table for discussion."

"Hold up Klokateer, What is going on here?" Dusk said finally trying to get the big picture out of this. I looked at her with a smile and turned a little red, "Look who remembers me!" I laughed. "I digress, I digress. The owner of this place is thinking about selling all of it, land and all to some suit and tie. We will not let some city boy come down to our little enclave and ruin it with fancy drinks and porsches. Eddie, Jon tyler, myself, and others renovated this for nothing and I refuse to let anyone take it from me or my brothers."

Dusk could not help but admire karl's commitment to this bar and to his friends. 'Wow, I mean after all this time he is still the same guy I met in oakhaven.' Dusk thought to herself as karl and jon gave a call to jim on his cell phone.

"Jim! Its Karl and Jon, we got a big problem to bring to your attention." I said as I spoke into the phone. "Gentleman... Mens... Fuck.. How you doing buds?!" Jim said with a slur in his voice. "Drunk as fuck jim, is this how you spoke to that suit?!" Jon yelled into the phone as jim began to get belligerent. "Jim ignore him, why are you think of selling Black tuesday? This place is a money maker and you know it! Just look at all the folks who came to this corner of the world to drink here! What is making you think this way?"

"Some fuck from a cooperation called Destroido corp... Bunch of well dressed psychopaths who want this land for its location... Fuckers!" Jim yelled into the phone as a loud crash could be herd in the back ground. "Jim, what was that?" I asked him as the looks on our faces became worry some. "Flies in my house! They... They took my Liquor... Damn it! I'm going to the liquor store!" Jim yelled as the sound of him falling over a table followed by a loud scream of profanity. "Jim you better not be... Fucker hung up on us!" Jon yelled, annoyed with jim's lack of control over his liquor.

"Who the hell is Destroido corp?" Dusk asked, breaking the negative ice that was forming over the circle of new friends she had made just now. "Karl, didn't Sean sell BKB construction to some guy in that outfit?" Jon remarked. I sighed and rubbed my forehead, "Destroido corp is a multinational company that is nothing but a shadow hand for a bunch of folks in the silk suits, but thats not the point. Their bad news, Muffy. Really bad news! After they bought the company I worked for and then Klein entertainment brought into it. I left after its Regional manager, Arthur Lockhard, started blackmailing me with the false charge that his daughter tried to get me on last year. But I left the company completely and gave up everything, some of it was stolen by her, but I left with my dignity and a lawsuit bring me over 50k."

"Karl then poured the money into the park, the bar, and the gas station to help some of us out. The rest of it he gave to my brother, Kyle, back in bama." Jon explained, "I kept about five out of the fifty thousand and bought some upgrades for my truck and the trailer. But other than that, others in the community need it more than I ever will." I explained, "But thats a different story. Right now we need see Jimmy and get his side of the story in the paper work."

"Jon, go to the beer store and make sure jim hasn't gone over board and thinks that he is the liquor! Dusk and I will head over to his trailer and check out his paper work. We'll meet back here in about an hour, alright?" They all nodded and dusk and I jumped into the truck . "God damn it Jimmy..."

We drove a little bit down the road with the radio on full blast till dusk turned it down and looked at me strangely. "Karl, I have to ask... What happened to you and Jessica after that shit in Oakhaven?"

"A lot of shit to sum it up, But if you want to know you have to make a deal with me." I told her with the expression of exhaustion and reluctance about talking about some of my not so proud moments of my life. "Whats the deal klokateer?" She said with a smile on her face and her eyes turned dreamy. "I want you to tell me why you left the Hex girls, I got a feeling that it wasn't because of creative differences..."

Dusk took a long breath as if the question had sucked all of the oxygen out of her lungs. But soon she recovered and looked back at me, "If I tell you why..." She gripped my hand tightly and I could feel a little sweet coming from her pale hand. "Then you must tell me about why you left your home for this place..." I could not help but give a sad smile as the memories came flowing back to me like a river breaking down the dam and flooding the valley that was my mind. I could feel my heart opening up to her, yet I could not fight myself to not let it all go at once. I unknowingly squeezed muffy's hand and a small tear dropped down from my eye.

"We're here..." I said, fighting the upheaval of emotion that inhabited my heart. Jim's trailer was very clean and nice double wide like mine, but painted a light tan with a cliché white picket fence that I despised more than anything. I parked the truck and quickly let go of her hand as I rushed out of the cab in embarrassment. I looked around franticly for jim's car till I saw the tire tracks leading out of his drive way and the line of destroyed trash cans toward town. "Drunk... Great..." I said annoyed as I though of the havoc that Jimmy liquor is doing in town. "That fucker better have left a key..." I said crestfallen as I searched under the mat and the door frame.

"Take a look around the side of the trailer in some of the crannies he might have put them." I told dusk as she got out of the truck and shut the door slowly. She ran to the side and started looking for a point of entry. "I don't see a key!" Dusk yelled as she appeared from side of the house. "Doors lock and so are the windows... Hmmm." I began to think, but spontaneous action took over.

"Ever seen those movies where the cops knock down the door and barge in like they own the place?" I asked her with an evil smile. Dusk returned the smile and rushed over to me, "Wait for me! Let me show you how a rockstar kicks a door in!" She laughed as we stood on the snow covered porch together. "On three." we said in unison as we prepared to kick the door in. "1, 2, 3!" Both our boots hit the door and went crashing down onto the door, breaking the locks and the door frame itself.

"Holy shit that was cool!" Dusk yelled as a rush of adrenaline hit her. "Illegal as hell right now, so we better move fast!" I yelled as we entered jims home, which was a mess already! Bottles of beer everywhere, clothing and plates scattered everywhere, and flies flying around.

"Does this guy even have A/C?" Dusk asked as we entered the house. "You've got to be fucking me Jim!" I yelled, looking at the huge hole that use to be his window. "He sold his A/C unit again! God damn it!" I yelled kicking the wall in a rage. Dusk was scared, I could see it in her eyes. She backed up and began looking threw some of the papers on the counter in the kitchen. I grunted randomly and went to the back where the office was and to my susprise it was clean. Completely organized and spotless as far as I could see.

"Anything on the table muffy!?" I shouted across the hall. "A few liquor store receipts and some notices on a few people here at the park. Other than that, nothing from that corporation!" She replied as she went to join me at the office. "Lets dig though these files to see what we can find." I said as we started to dig through his desk and file cabinets. "Receipts from the beer store, bank notices, eviction notices, and some..."

"Found it!" Dusk yelled as she pulled out a document with the Destroido logo on it. "What does it say?" Dusk read over the document and it was as if something has taken all of the joy out of her body and replaced it with melancholy. She handed the document to me and I read over the paper till I dropped it on the floor...

"He's going to sell it all... The bar, the land, and the park..."


	7. Chapter 7: Still waters run deep

Dusk and I stood in the office as I acted as if I was a zombie, standing motionless in the room with the papers on the scattered on the floor. "Karl... Are you... alright?" Dusk asked me as I stood their in shock and disbelief. "All that work... All that time... All that money... Gone... Just like that..." I said, falling to carpeted floor with a thud. "Its... Gone... all of it... Its just like alabama all over again..."

Dusk has never seen anyone break like this before. The strong and confidant Karl was deduced to a pale figure laying against the wall like a dead man. Karl looked to her with the his beautiful green eyes and started to speak to her in a low tone. She got on her knees and propped herself against the wall with karl as he spoke.

"Muffy... It seems that everything I've worked for, what I've slaved for, and broke my bones for is now gone in the blink of an eye. Its... Its happening for the second time..." I said coldly as she laid her head on my chest. As I finished my sentence Muffy rapped her hand around mine and looked deep into my eyes, "What happened in alabama to make you feel so powerless?" She asked in the softest tone anyone could imagine. I gave a long sigh...

"It was about a year ago when it happened. I had just moved into a home of my own with not a care in the world besides the bills, but that didn't bother me, jon tyler, or my girl of the time Sandra. I had great ties with my family till my father married some woman by the name of wendy, my mother died when Shella . I never liked that woman, regardless of how much she made my father happy. She made life living hell for my sister till she attempted to take her own life after wendy started beating her harder than usual. I remember my sister would run to stay with me and john every once in a while. I had a girlfriend by the name of sandra that would take her out of some 'Girl time' as she called it, mostly going out shopping and all that shit. Sandra turned my sister into a cyber goth girl with the gas mask and everything, she loved her." I reminisced as I pulled a picture from my wallet of Me, my sister, Sandra, and my brother. "Thats my sister, Sheila, in the Red and black outfit with the matching fake dreadlocks. Next to her is Sandra with the goggles and thick eye shadow."

"Over on the far left is me back in the day with the Goat on my face, Ha ha, and then their is my brother, Roderick in the leather jacket. Those were pretty much my blood family besides my dad and Jon Tyler. I would let them live in the house rent free as along as they helped out around the house. Fair trade, but never the less we did have our problems like all families do. Then that day came... Dad died in a car accident... Leaving all his possessions and limited wealth to wendy. She wrote Roderick, Sheila, and me out of the will completely and took all of it for herself. We tried to fight her in court, but the bastards in the system fucked us over. Wendy foreclosed on our home and kicked each of us out, ruined our names, and over all tore us apart from one another."

"Roderick was sent to jail on a trumped up charge of GTA, even though the car was brought by his father and put in his name, Wendy had lied and said it was she who bought it and it was suppose to be out in her name or some shit. He's in jail for five years. Sandra left me because I was homeless, some pick eh? Then shella... Wendy sent her off to a boarding school somewhere in new england... 'To get her away from all the hate' as she put it."

Dusk looked at him with shock as he told the story to her. She could not help but rap herself around him and hug him as hard as she could to show her love for him. She knew the feeling of losing someone so near and dear to her, the void that forms after the death brings anyone, no matter how strong, to their knees.

"After loosing my father, my mother, my sister, my brother, my girl of eight months, my house, and everything for that matter. Me and Jon did the only thing that was sense able for two guys who were out of luck and home. We went looking for my sister here in the heart of yankee country, it had only been a couple of months before we got in with the company and started our careers in the north. I found my notch as a manager and that my experience as a pyrotechnics guy shined through and I picked up another job as well with Klein entertainment. Working with both BKB and Klein landed me enough money to buy a place of my own and so did Jon before he went 'Soul searching' in the big apple. While he was gone, I made friends with Jim. In other words, got him out of jail for DUI and helped settle some problems around the park. So then Jim gave me a deal on rent and here I am. Jon got the same thing after jim's divorce made him build black tuesday out of spite and depression. But then that black hand of the corporate world took my jobs and tried to jail me for it, Now here I am. I'm the handy man of this little corner of the world and I'm the manager at a eddie bauer store. Perfect... Now my home is about to be taken again and I will lose everything once again..."

It was hopeless, thats all I could think as I stared into the ceiling with Dusk laying on my chest till she grabbed my hands together as she laid there on my chest.

"It was a long night after a show in New york, we were just leaving the city till something inside of me stuck me. A vision of the future... A vision where my sisters and I were... Dead... I... went over bored with it and we fought each other... The visions were something that have both help and hurt us... But something about that night drove us apart and then thorn struck me... So I ran out.. Into the cold with nothing... Nothing but this." Dusk said with a heavy heart as an emotion that she has never shown before began to appear for the first time in her life... Shame.

"I... I... Said somethings that I... That I..."

"Regret?" I finished her sentence as my eyes looked with hers. "Yeah... We fought and I ran out of the tour bus toward where ever I could. Then you found me..." Our grips grew tighter as we opened our walls to one another. Dusk reached into the front pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a golden locket with her name engraved on the front of it. "My sisters and I met when we were about nine or ten, but that is for a different time. We were adopted by Sally's dad and we've been together ever sense. On my birthday they gave me this locket and no matter what i've kept it with me." Dusk put the locket around her neck.

"What did you see." I asked her as I saw the beauty of the locket in full view as it shined in the light of the winters sun through the window.

"Death..." She said as tears came down her face as she began to sob on my chest. "Dusk... Don't feel bad at all. Your sister love you, I know they do! They wouldn't have done all they have done just because you were their drummer!" I protested as I grabbed her by the shoulders. "What would you know! You've only seen our concerts, not what we are like backstage or off stage." Dusk yelled through her tears and tried to fight the sadness that was taking over her. "I don't have to know any of that! Your eyes in the photos, performances, and even in that locket, I can see without a doubt that you and your sisters are pure closer than any blood family could be."

"What are you talking about!? After what I said after I left my sister shit out of luck, I don't think they would ever want to do with me ever again!" She fired back with religious rage. "Because we are more alike than you think! Jon, Eddie, Jimmy, Roderick, and Sheila are all my family, With or with out blood relation. They are my brothers and my sisters, closer than family. The bond you share with your sister is not of petty gain or even of love of music, Its love of one another and the hell you've been through that have sealed your fait together. I fret, stress, spaz, love, and even hate the people I call my brothers and sister. But I know deep down that they are the only people in this world besides the Higher power and myself that will love me regardless of what happens."

"Through the mud, the blood, to the green fields below. They will stand by me and I will do the same. And Muffy those girls are your family and they love you more than anything and that goes double for me!" I said with fanatical zeal I preached to her that there is hope in this crazy world.

Dusk was speechless and could only cry with a smile on her face as we held each with all my strength. "Karl... Your right... And baby..." She said sweetly as her face came closer to mine. "Yes, baby girl?"

"I love you..."

We kissed right then and their in that booze redden office trailer on the dirty floor of the officer room. It was one of the most passionate moments in our lives as we kissed, our tongues meeting in the middle and fighting one another for dominates. She bit my lip in the middle of it all till a rush of cold air came into the trailer and caused us to stop for a moment just to relish it for the beauty of it all.

"It took us a year to find out how much we each meant to each other. Why karl?" She asked me as we cuddled on the floor holding one another tightly. "We are both secretive and collective about one another feelings, I guess the old saying is true."

"Still waters run deep." We said in unison as our lips met again for another kiss

My phone rang and it was Jon tyler on the other end. "Jon we got the papers, but we had to knock down the door to get to it. Tell jimmy I owe him a door. But whatever, we got the papers and jim must have fucked up and sold the park along with the bar and the land." I said into the phone as me and my new eco-goth girlfriend stood up off the ground and began to walk out of the trailer. We stopped in the kitchen when jon gave me a run down of everything and hung up.

"Ok, It seems jimmy was drunk as fuck, again, and was suppose to give those mild mannered psychopaths only a cut of the land for some operation. But jimmy, being a drunk, signed the contract for it all for only 30k. Weird as fuck, but I think we got a plan." I said as I propped myself against the counter. "Whatever it is, You have me right by your side." Dusk said with a smile as she got closer to me.

"Dusk... Your going to have to make a celebrity appearance tonight with the wolves of the ardennes. I know your still kind of burnt about the..." Dusk put her hand on my mouth, "Shhhhs, I would have kicked your ass if you did ask." "Babe, your even hotter when you get that evil look in your eye." I said, the only thing I could say before we walked out of the Trailer.

"Time for Dusk to make a come back!" Dusk shouted as we jumped into the truck as rushed to Black tuesday at break neck speed.


	8. Chapter 8: Getting the band together

"There he is!" I yelled as we pulled in with a quick power slide into the gravel parking lot with snow and dust kicked into the air around the truck. Jon and Jim were standing at the door, at least Jon was, Jim was laying on the hood of his Oldsmobile with a bottle of whisky in his hand that was half empty singing some song about the weekend.

"Weekkkenddd! Weeekeend! Going! TO mmyy favoriteeeed barr!" He sang drunkly before falling off of the hood of the car and into the snow and gravel. I got out as fast as I could to give jim a piece of my minded before he stagger up to his feet to greet me. "Karlll! My buddy! How... How are you ha ha ha." Jim said with a slur as he fell into the snow and nearly broke his bottle. Jim was in his forties, but looked at least fifty or sixty, with bald head with some grey hairs on the sides of his head. Jim looked like a walking train wreak, wearing nothing but a wife beater, pair of boxers, a robe, and a pair of wool socks on his feet.

Jim was a wreak after his divorce, taking it over bored with the sauce till he started started the bar. Now he only hits it hard once the pressure is on, This deal with those reptiles in Destroido must have pushed him to and over the brink. "Looks like this has pushed him over the edge on this one, He never looks this bad." I said as he came closer to us. "Who's the sexy.." Dusk knocked Jim down to the ground with one hit to the jaw and he fell to the cold ground below. "Don't you even think about touching me." Dusk said coldly as she stepped over Jim and into the bar to get away from the cold. "I'm going to find somewhere warm to sit, see you inside klokateer." Dusk said with a smile as she walked to the door.

"What the fuck just happened?" Jon asked as he walked over to meet me. "No idea, maybe she though he was going to touch her. All I know is that she can pack a punch if she can knock out a drunk Jimmy!" I said with a laugh as I shook jim to see if he was awake. "Did you get any more info out of jimmy?" I asked Jon as I shook jimmy some more. "Only that he didn't sign the paperwork."

"What? He name was on the document, what do you mean he didn't sign it?" I shouted as whipped to my feet. Jon opened the Oldsmobile and threw a file onto the hood. "Look at the way it's written. Thats a woman's hand writing." Jon said, pointing at the way the letters were written. "Either Jim is hiding a secret, or someone is trying to get us out of here." I said with assurance that someone is trying to get to us. "If you've seen what he keeps on that laptop of his, than you can drop the first one. Jimmy's got a thing for the kardashian sisters something fierce." Jon said honestly as he ran his fingers though his gel filled hair.

"Come on lets get jimmy out of the cold before he freezes, we won't be much help to us if he's suffering from hypothermia." I said, picking Jim by the legs and Jon by his arms. "Wow! He's light!" Jon chuckled as we go into the bar and threw him into a booth. "Damn he is out cold."

"Yeah, She did a number on him. Look at his jaw, its already swollen!" Jon said astonished at the fact that someone as young as Dusk managed to knock a forty year old man out like a light. "Speaking of Muffy, you see her anywhere?" I asked Jon as I looked around for her. "She's with me chimney sweep!" A familiar, and rather unwelcome one at that, said with a giggle. We turned around to see the unpleasant figure with bright teal hair with matching make teal make up with her long teal hair in large pig tails that looked like the wings of a peacock. She was dressed in a black and teal cyber goth style with black short leaved button up with a bright teal top and a black latex skirt. She stood on a pair of black and teal knee high boots with buckles, making her at least the same high as Dusk and I. She was sitting in a booth with Dusk giggling and joking around together.

"Well Well Well, if it isn't Karl Dael in his usual attire." The Cyber goth girl remarked. "Who are you?" I asked her, "Aww Karl... You don't remember me do you?" She said with a little bit of sarcasm and a trace of hurt. The Cyber goth girl stood up and struck a pose similar to the picture of my family I had in my wallet. "Bro! Thats Sandra!" Jon said in surprise as he went to hug her. "Damn... Sandra, how did you get here?" I asked her reluctantly. "I herd from a little birdie that you were in trouble and that you needed a little help from the number one bass player in jefferson county for four years running." She said in a joyful voice as she hugged me. I looked behind her to see Dusk giving her the '1000' yard stair and I gave her a measuring look that sandra was not my interest at all.

"I'm going to get my bass out of the back of the Oldsmoblie, See you smokey!" Sandra said, blowing a kiss to me in the air as she walked to jimmies car. The door slammed behind her and soon a awkward silence took over the room. I walked over to the booth and sat next to dusk who instantly leaned against me, "Baby, what were you and sandra talking about?" I asked her as I motioned Jon to keep Sandra busy. Dusk put her chin on my shoulder and looked at me with those beautiful piercing black eyes of hers. "About you." She said with a girlish laugh. "Oh really, like what about me?" I asked her with a cutie smile. "Just about how your sweet, kind, generous." She gave a brief cutie smile with each pause. "A good kisser..." Dusk took her finger and pressed it against my lips ever so slight with a smile on her face. "And a few other things, Like how you got drunk and passed on the grass in front of your house. Telling people to get out of your room when you were laying in the grass covered in mud." She said with a cute laugh as my face turned bright red as I remembered that night.

"I will never, never, never drink bacardi again. EVER!" I said with a hearty laugh as I remembered waking up sun burned, covered in mud, and hung over all in the same day. Dusk laughed harder as we joked about some of the stories Sandra told her. 'Thank god Sandra didn't go psyco on Dusk.' I thought to myself as I wiped the imaginary sweat off my brow with my mind. "She's nice karl, even beautiful. What happened between you two?" Dusk asked me with her eyes gleaming in the dank amber light of the bar.

I gave a sign and wished I had a drink to calm my nerves, but just having her in my arms gave me the confidence to let a secret about myself out of the bag for once.

"Before me and Jon left for the North, We made a stop to Sandra's to break the news to her. At the time her mother was sick and we wanted to pay our respects to her family and drop off some money for them. Where we came from it was almost as if everyone in the community was connected with one another, even though some of us lived out in the sticks or just in town, we stuck together as people should. But when we got there we found Sandra in tears and we asked what was wrong, but then we started arguing and fighting then we broke up. It turned out that her mother had died early that day and didn't want anyone to help her. So she took it out on me and I did the same to her. It was all a misunderstanding, but either way it was bound to happen." I told dusk as I played with one of her pony tails with my finger.

"So you broke up over that? Did you think of getting back together with her?" She asked, begging for an answer. "Dusk, Honey, what happened between me and her went away a long time ago." I reassured her. She looked up at me with a serious look in her eyes, "Don't call me honey..." "Why not, Baby cakes?" I said with a laugh as she sat up and punched me in the arm. We couldn't help but laugh at each other as we play fought and tickled one other like school yard brats. "Aww god your so cute when your mad." I couldn't help but say as we leaned on one another again breathing quickly with little chuckles in between.

"And your cute all the time." Dusk said with a smile. "AWWW Look at the happy couple! Get'em dusk Rarrr!" Sandra said with a cutie play growl like a 40 year old woman on the hunt at a singles bar. "Got him today Sandra! He's mine!" Dusk said kissing me on the lips before rushing to Sandra. "Thats all good and wonderful, but can someone fucking help me hear!" Jon yelled as he almost dropped Sandra's cloths and amp on the ground before I rushed over to catch some of it. "Try not to break some of my stuff Hun, I need it for tonight." Sandra said as she put her bass guitar case on the table where me and dusk were.

In the case was a slick all black Gibson bass guitar with teal writing that read ' ' in gothic writing. As we admired the Bass, I couldn't help but ask how she knew we need someone else for the band... And how the fuck she knew we were here in new england for heavens sake!

"Sandra... How did you know we were here in the first place?" I asked her. She smiled and pointed at Jon who was twiddling his thumbs behind us. I looked at him like he was a madman till he answered, "Don't worry, She's been in NYC as of two weeks ago for a convention. I just hit her up for a little detour, you know?" Jon said nervously. I rolled my ears and looked at sandra, "How much?"

"How much what?" She asked me with a smile and a little laugh. I rolled my eyes once more, "How much did he pay you?" "Nothing, I came here to see you. Also because I wanted to meet Dusk from the Hex girls of course! Sorry to here about the break up by the way." She said to me and dusk. "Yeah Karl, she's cool. Plus just look at it this way, You have me on drums and back up vocals, Sandra on bass and vocals, then theirs you and Jon. You got a dream team for tonight!" Dusk said positively. "Yeah babe, you have a killer group here. Send out some flyers or a advertisement on the radio or some shit and we can have a kick ass show tonight.

"Holy fuck! How... How did I... I get... fuck..." Jim staggered to life from his booth. "I need a drink..." Jim swaggered to the bar and fell over again and began to snore on the floor. "Who's the drunk?" Sandra asked with a laugh. "Nobody, ugh what time it is?" I replied as jim began to awaken again and crawl to the booze again. "It's now at least four or five, Eddy will be here to open in a few. Someone get jim home and make sure he doesn't get out again, last thing we need is this fucker to screw up our night. Jon, when is Jessica suppose to get her for her part?" I ask, rallying up a plan for tonight. "Sometime around six or seven, Depends on weather." Jon said as he walked to get jimmy off the floor. "Speaking of which, how is the weather looking? Its mostly overcast all day and some snow here and there, but I don't know about anywhere else."

"I check the weather and we are looking at snow drift coming in tonight, traffic is hell as it is outside of the rural areas like this." Sandra said as she put her phone away. "We need at least a day for advertisements, thats what the managers would talk about. If the word isn't out about me, than all this work is worthless!" Dusk added, "Will that station Tk101 let us in for an advertisement?"

"Hun, advertising the hex girls is like advertising free booze. Theirs no question about it!" Sandra said with fire in her voice "Hell yeah!" Dusk yelled as they slapped a couple of High fives. "Alright heres the plan... Jon I need you to get Sandra's shit to either mine or your trailer, she needs a place to stay. Sandra, make a few calls to some of the rock stations and get the word out that Dusk here is making a comeback to the stage. Dusk, work with sandra and make it legit. Jon, eddie, and myself will take care of the other junk. We all need to get this shit moving before those pigs at Destroido come with the collection plate." I said with zeal, "Black tuesday on three! One, two, three!"

"BLACK TUESDAY!"


	9. Chapter 9: Grave yard shift

_**Ok everyone, as you can see that I post a chapter or two every day or so. It does not mean lack of effort or 'No **_**_life' my word document to get to nine chapters. Right now with Hearts of Iron on hold till I get more inspiration, This is a main project aside from school, work, and whatever comes in the Future. I love the fact that I'm getting a consistent amount of people from all over and I thank you all for coming to read my modest writing. Please Review!_**

**_-Dresner_**

* * *

Everything was in motion... Even though the snow had picked up and the bar was dead, we did not waste anytime getting everything together for tomorrow. We filled eddy in on everything and he wasn't surprised about the of Jimmy, but it was the fact that the hand writing was more feminine that anything. Which troubled him more than anything, But that didn't matter as the task of getting the event set up was of greater importance at the moment.

Last minute stuff like this wasn't my favorite thing to bring together, but it was a necessity. It was not just a gig to get a few more dollars in our pockets. It was to save our home as well as our watering hole. Eddy managed to get a hold of a few of his friends from across New york state and Canada to get the word out about Dusk, along with get a stage in route. Jon returned around 11 o'clock and started making calls with Sandra and Dusk to rock stations and even XM radio as well! I on the other hand was getting the bar together along with a semi sober Jimmy who was trying for once to get his shit together.

"Another grave yard shift, eh karl?" Jimmy asked me as we moved cases of booze to restock the bar. "Yep, someone has burn the moon light. Might as well be me!" I said with a tired laugh as we moved a couple boxes of vodka to the front. Jimmy was holding his head every time we moved a box, "Karl man, I don't know what the fuck is going on... Those sliver tongue bastards got my name on that paper somewhere..." He said to me in a slur. "Jim, it wasn't you. They might have talked to you, but some woman in your life sighed it for you. Do you have any idea who would do this to us?" I explained to him. Jim shook his head, "Not even my ex-wife would do this. I don't remember much ha ha ha. Maybe tomorrow!" Jimmy said before falling to the floor of the storage room and passing out once more. "Worthless." I said exhausted from today as I walked out of the storage room and back to the front of the house.

"Karl! Dusk and I managed to get on TK and on XM Octane to get the word out! Everything is falling into place!" Sandra said in ecstasy as her and dusk cheered. "They are putting the word out as we speak! Tickets are going go like wild fire!"

"Awesome! Eddy, Do you know anyone that can make tickets?" I asked eddy as he wiped off the bar top with a rag. "Yeah, I'll get Jerico on it." Eddy said affirmatively as he turned to the phone on the wall and made a call. "Jon! How are we working on other sources?" "Getting fucking serious over here with a Facebook page! Got a few hundred likes in the last few minutes, posting that shit on the Hex girls page was a great idea muffy." Jon said with a laugh. "We also got a few other bands coming down to preform, Everyone wants to meet Dusk!"

"Duh, because I'm just that awesome!" Dusk said in full diva mode as she leaped to her feet and nearly tackled me to the ground with joy. "I can't wait for tomorrow!" She said with a twinkle in her eyes that I haven't seen before. Soon a knock on the door interrupted us, "Who could that be?" I asked walking over to the door. The door flew open as I unlocked it and a barbie doll like figure in all white barged threw the door.

"Alright bitches, Jessy is hear to party! Woooohhh!" Jessica Lockhart yelled, throwing her middle fingers up in the air and sticking her tongue out like a collage girl that just had her first shot of whisky. "Holy fuck boys! Jessica finally decided to make her public appearance from the world of bar sluts, hide your money and your cock!" Jon yelled from the bar as eddy gave him a cold beer. Jessica has changed over the course of the year, Change being more make up and plastic surgery to make Valerie Lukyanova look like a regular girl! Dressed in all white from her little winter coat with white fury trimming, to her white jeans, and even her white shoes and matching make up made her look even more like a barbie doll.

"Your late, what took you?" I asked her bluntly before she could answer Jon with a rude come back. She turned on the tips of her heels and looked at me with a look of disgust and shock. "Oh, not even a hello? So rude jail bird!" Jessica said with a fake dumb blonde laugh and turned away to sit at the bar. Dusk was standing with her hands on her hips with an annoyed look on her face till jessica bumped into her.

"Watch it freak!" Jessica hissed as she turned to dusk with a mean look in her eyes and flipped her peach blonde hair with her hand. "Fuck off princess." Dusk hissed back, flashing her fangs for intimidation. Jessica screamed and ran to a booth with her pride and tail between her legs. "Ahhhhh! She does have a voice alright!" Sandra remarked as the barbie huddled in the corner of the booth. "Ugh... Everyone this is Jessica. She, unfortunately, will be with us in the concert on female vocals." I said with a lump of hate in my throat as my introduction came to a close. "Jessica, You know me and Jon. The girl in teal is Sandra, Eddie the bartender, and..." I said, rapping my arm around dusk's waste. "And this is Dusk."

Jessica popped up from her fettle position in the corner of the booth and her jaw dropped. She reached into her purse and pulled out a gossip magazine and looked threw it till she found a article. "Dusk?! From the Hex girls?! This Dusk?!" She shouted with star struck eyes and a high pitch tone. "Yeah I'm Dusk, who the fuck do you think I am? Eco-Goth Barbie?" Dusk hissed as she became annoyed with the air head jessica. "OH MY GOD! IT'S YOU IT'S YOU!" Jessica shouted as she jumped into the air like a teen age girl at her first concert. "What are you doing here in this dump?! The tabloids said you were in Canada on a soul searching tour! How did you find yourself here and with this loser?" She said with her dumb blonde voice in full swing. I could feel Dusk's anger through my arm as her body began to tighten in intense anger at the ignorance of the barbie doll in front of her.

"Jessica, go have a drink on me and get to know some of the people you'll be playing with tomorrow. We'll start practicing in about an hour or so." I said, changing the subject before Dusk knock the hell out of her. Jess was about to say something before I took dusk outside to cool off in the snow before she went off.

"AHHHHH UGH! What is her deal!?" Dusk yelled as we stepped outside the door. The snow fall was getting a little thick, but didn't bothered us as we stood outside and cooled off a bit. "I don't know why he brought her here." I said, propping myself against the grill guard on my toyota. "Jon I'm guessing?" Dusk as me as we sat close to one another in the snow. She was shivering with out her hoodie so I opened my truck and grabbed my leather jacket from the back seat.

"Here, put this on. Its lined and everything." I said giving her the jacket to stay warm. "It's heavy... And smells of leather... I like it." She said with a cute smile as she put on the jacket. "Its a little big for you, but It will keep you warm for a bit." I said as I fixed the buckles on the side so it would fit her better. "I have an idea..." Dusk said taking the jacket off and giving it to me. "Put it on."

I put the jack on over my fleece jacket and she laid against me with the jackets protecting her from the cold. "Thats better." She said with a sleepy smile as she looked up to me with her head against my chest. "You conferrable, baby girl?" I asked her with a caring smile as I took my arms out of the jackets and let them hang on my shoulders. Putting my arms around her waste and holding her hands. "Yes, klokateer." She said softly as we held on to each other and swayed lightly as the light snow fall seemed to blend perfectly with the amber lights that hung around the bar.

"Karl?" Dusk asked me as we looked into the sky to see small stars in the sky above. "Yes, baby girl?"

"Why Do you call me baby girl?" She asked me as she turned to face me and placed her hand on my chest. I gave a loving sigh and a smile, "You mean something to me." I said vaguely as I found myself looking into her piercing black eyes changing into the loving pools of warmth and love. "What do you mean?" She asked me as I brushed a snow flake off of her little nose. "Dusk, your 19 and I'm 23. I'm older and your younger. Second, you... you bring a different side of me out into the open. And third, It's a better pet name than Honey or..."

Dusk kissed me quickly with a smile, "Shut up klokateer." She said jokingly as she sat her head on my chest. "I love that side of you." I said to her. "Which one?" She asked with her head still on my chest. I could feel her heart race as she waited for me to answer. "All of them... The loving side that no one but your sisters and me have seen, The fierce side that scares people, and everything in between." I said warmly as I felt her hold on to me a little tighter.

A lot was running though Dusk's mind as her and karl sat against his truck holding each other in the cold outdoors. She could feel a warm, almost fuzzy feeling, melting the last of her black heart to a trickle. Feelings of Love, acceptance, and other feelings that she hasn't felt till the trouble with Thorn and Luna. Her past was dotted with anger and resentment against men because of her abusive father and the murder of her mother and best friend by him, Leaving her dotted and pissed at the world for throwing her the short end of everything.

Meeting her sisters is what gave her hope, then the troubles came and broke them apart because of fame, power, and safety for her and her sisters safety. Leaving brought back the pain and loneliness of her past... Just sitting their out in the cold with Karl brought her just a little closer to happiness with every moment that past by. She could say with whole hearted confidence that she had found someone that

"Lovebirds! Come on, lets get to practice before the drinking starts!" Sandra yelled to us through the front door. "Come on baby girl, lets run though a few songs and then lets have a few drinks." I said with a smile with my arms around her. We gave each other a smile and held our hands as we walked in. Everyone was getting ready with the instruments. It was a monty collection of members alright!

Cyber goth Sandra on bass, Eco-Goth Dusk on drums, Juice head Jon on rhythm guitar, Barbie doll Jessica on lead vocals, and industrial me on lead guitar and back up vocals. Their were all walks of life of the music world with in the bar band that me and Jon called 'Wolves of the Ardennes'. How we managed to play through the AM with out killing each other is still a mystery to us. We mostly played metal and other songs by Halestorm, Metallica, Blind guardian, and other forms of metal and hard rock. Dusk even taught barbie doll jessica and Cyber goth Sandra a few Hex girl songs like Earth, wind, fire, and air, Hex girl, Wanna wed but I fled, and even one of their newer songs called Trap of love. Things were going well till Eddie started serving shots of jagermeister for a early celebration.

"Alright! Alright! Alright guys," I said with the first shot of the night in my hand. "Tomorrow, or today, when the moon fuckin rises again! We will save our home! Whether it is our home, temporary home, or just a place to crash for awhile. We are all brothers and sisters in this! This is our home and we will not let some cocksuckers in a suit to take it away from us!" I said in a randomly dramatic speech as I rose my drink to the sky, "Heres to us!"

"To us!" We cheered as we all took our first drink of the night. More and more liquor came after and we sang and cheer till our hearts content. Jon and I were fine as jager was almost like water to us, but we could not help but laugh at poor dusk as she began slurring her words after only about two shots. But, I didn't worry about her as she only hung on to me a little tighter. Sandra was fine and dandy, but only a little tipsy. While Jessica was dancing on the bar with Jim drinking straight from the bottle. Eddy was enjoying the show as he sat in a metal folding chair with a bottle of jack in his hands and a pack of smokes in his front pocket of his flannel button up.

Even though we came from all these different backgrounds and subcultures, Dusk and I could feel as if we were right at home. Even when drunk, I could still see a twinkle in her eyes telling me that everything was going to be alright... Or at least I hope it would be...


	10. Chapter 10: Star Struck

**_Alright everyone, Sorry about not posting Chapter 10 yesterday. I was behind in my work and I needed a day to recover. This and (Maybe) Chapter 11 will appear today. Thank all of you from Great Britain United States, Brazil, and Canada for reading my work and I would love to hear from you all. _**

**_Danke,_**

**_Love Dresner :) _**

* * *

"Ugh, my head.." I said with a grunt I awoke to find myself on a pallet of crushed boxes with mine and dusks jackets as blankets. I was still clothed, amazingly, and was unmarked by the usual pranks played by my friends when we pass out. I looked around to see my bandmates were in the same predicament as myself. Jon was laying in one of the booths with bottles of cheap beer all around the table and on the floor. Sandra on the other hand was sitting at the bar sipping on a coffee that a well rested Eddie had prepared for her.

"Sleep well love bug?" Sandra asked me as I stood up to stretch my arms and legs from a long drunk slumber. I looked down with a smile to see dusk sleeping soundly with my leather jacket rapped around her. "Yeah, I did." I said with a warm smile as I looked at dusk. "What time is it?" I asked her as I swaggered to the bar and ordered a cup of joe from eddie. "About 7 or 8 in the Morning." Sandra remarked as she brushed her teal hair. "Last night was wild!" Eddie said with grin as he pour a steaming cup of coffee. "That barbie doll and Jimmy got a little 'Friendly' last night." He said, pointing his finger to the booth in the very back. Me and sandra gave smiles to one another and gave a nod to check out the back. "Thanks eddie, your a good man." I thanked him as we walked to the back.

"I wonder what happened last night?" I asked Sandra as we stepped over various bottles and knocked over furniture on the floor. "Well... You and dusk mostly made out and shared drinks till she pasted out on you. Then you were being thoughtful and swaggered to the back room to break a few boxes down to make a crude mattress for her. So sweet for a drunk, I must say!" She said laughing at me with a smile. "But, besides you constructing a nest. You and Jon pounded beers till you both finally passed out after a round of dirty dancing with barbie and I." Sandra blushed as we reached the booth wear a nude jim and jessica laid together with only the modest cover of a shag rug from the office. They were cuddled up together closely and the stench of hard liquor seemed to linger around them.

"Wow, that is a sight to see." I said wide eyed as Sandra took out her phone and took a picture. "You better take a picture, perfect black mail moment for later." She said with an evil smile. I shook my head and walked back to the bar, "Come on, leave them be. At least Jimmy scored with something that he didn't order."

"Yeah, should have seen them last night. They were like dogs in heat! At least you were civil." She said with a little evil smile. "What did I do last night?" I asked her with a slight headache as I sat down at the bar once again. "Well besides the growp fest between you and muffy. You drank, a lot, said some kind things to us all, told jim to fuck off, and..." Sandra said, leaving out a detail at the end to draw me in. "Ugh Sandra, your killing me. What happened?"

She gave a chuckle and blushed bright red though her pale make up, "We... We kind of made out after dusk passed out."

"Do what?" I asked her, almost chocking on my coffee in susprise. "Yeah.. We did..." She said playfully vague as she turned her back to the bar and lending her back on the bar. Sandra turned to me with a joyful smile and coerced my face, "You love her, don't you?" She asked me as sat their in the bar light, only us were among the waken besides eddy who took to the back. "You don't have to answer, your eyes say it all." Sandra said as she put her finger on my lips before I could speak. "Sandra your going to tell her?" I asked her calmly. She shook her head and put her hand on my own. "No, Because you didn't mean it." She said calmly as she turned to face me. I looked into her eyes to see a cloak of happiness that was her smile covering the sadness in her eyes.

"Ugh, what a night!" Jon said as he staggered to life from his drunken slumber. "What time is it?" He asked us as he to awoke to the strange sight around him. "About eight in the morning by now." I said as I turned to face him. Then eddy appeared from the back room and we called to him. "Hey Eddy, when are your friends going to be here to set up everything?"

"About ten or eleven today. Their is a truck on its way with the rest of the gear soon." He said as he began to stock the bar once again. "Good, lets awake up everyone and start getting ready for a concert. We need to be able to sell as many tickets and booze as we can to save ourselves. If not, then we might as well start saying our goodbyes." I said to everyone who was awake. "Then we better get Dusk awake..." Sandra said as she got out of her chair to wake her. "No, let her sleep. Get her some aspirin when she wakes up, if she is as fierce as she is when she sober then we better not tempt faith with her when she's hung over." I said to Sandra as I gave a affectionate look to my sleeping beauty as she laid on the makeshift bed.

"Where's jimmy?" Jon asked. Sandra and I could not help but laugh out loud as Jon looked at us cluelessly. "Lets get some breakfast and start getting everything together for tonight."

Few hours later-

Everything was coming together, a little raggedly, but never the less coming together. Our stage was jury rigged out of goose neck trailer and wood to make it larger for the performance with a real roof that was taken from a broken stage at a scrap yard. The stage was set in an flat field near the bar that was cleared of snow by a mix of help from my friends, myself, and a few of eddy's buddies from Canada and else where.

Dusk awoke in a daze at the events of last night till Sandra and I filled her in, Leaving out some details... But never the less told her of what happened with Jim and jessica, Who woke up with a scream around three to see one another! I turned on my car radio and herd one of our advertisements go though and that TK101 was already giving out a tickets! Sandra was handling calls since 10:30 this morning and has already sold over hundred tickets, not bad for a last minute concert. Some people even came early and set up in and around the bar. Jim took advantage of this and cleared another lot with the help of a few of eddie's guys and jon.

Eddie was pouring beers and mixing drinks like never before! As it came closer and closer to curtain call, the more people showed up and the more we made. While sandra was running the cash, Jimmy parking, jon working, dusk appearing, eddy pouring, and the weather was holding, I was organizing the band together and preparing the instruments for the show. But I couldn't help but wonder where Jessica was...

Jessica Lockhart was gripping the side wall of the bar watching from afar with contempt in her heart. She was taking pictures with her I-Phone of the concert in the making. "Father, Karl has began a concert to raise money to save the area from our plan." She said to her Father on the other line. "What is that reject going to do? Play a few songs and sell cheap beer? That won't be enough!" He father boasted with a harsh laugh. "He has one of the Hex girls with him, the drummer. They seem to be in a relationship with one another." Jessica reported looking over her shoulder and playing dumb long enough for the others not to notice anything. "WHAT?! Do you realize the cost of this land we are losing!? All of the value! Sabotage this now!" Her father screamed into phone in a blood rage before hanging up.

Jessica hung up the phone with a snarl before putting on her designer sunglasses and heading to the stage with a wicked smile on her face.

"No way in hell your wreaking my come back, bitch." Dusk remarked coldly as she followed the barbie doll Jessica to the makeshift stage. She hided behind a few cars as she stalked jessica as she came near the stage and began to mess with a few of the bolts that held the roof to the stage. "This will put a stop to their little show..."

"What the fuck do you think your doing barbie?" Dusk demanded as jessica turned around quickly and tried get her guard up, but dusk pushed her and yelled in her face again. "I hear your phone call, what's your deal!? What did Karl ever do to piss you off and try to put him in jail?!" She demanded as she grabbed her by her white coat and pushed her against one of the piles holding the roof. "Fuck you, thats why!" Jessica spat back and tried to fight off dusk, but she was stronger than she looked and the look of hate in dusk's eyes struck fear into her heart. "Say that again." Dusk said calmly as she grabbed the barbie doll by the throat.

"He... He... Agh! His father took my mother away from my daddy! His father stole from my father's company after a scandal in which we lost over 80 million dollars in a lawsuit due to environmental concerns which his father reported to the government and daddy almost lost the company! So he got my mother to 'Leave him' and destroy the Dael family in revenge! It would have worked, but you intervened you little goth bitch!" Jessica wailed till she stepped on dusk's foot with her heels. "You bitch!" Dusk yelled as she tried to feel her toes after that barbie stepped on her foot. Jessica darted off and charged past karl and the band at break neck speed.

"Where you going jess!?" I yelled to her as she breezed past us. "She's the reason why the suits are after you!" Dusk yelled as she chased after her till she fell on the hard ground after slipping on ice. "What?!" We yelled as we helped her to her feet. "Karl! Wendy was jessica's mom! She was working with her dad to destory your family after dad reported Destroido to the cops after some kind of disaster they did!" Dusk explained franticly as she caught her breath. Then the familiar sound of my truck coming to life caught my attention and soon my tacoma was gone... with a blonde in all white at the wheel...

Jessica drove at breakneck speed away from the bar and into the countryside with karl's truck as a gift to herself for everything that has happen. She looked on her phone and gave a call to unknown contact of hers, "Hello? Gus? Boggs darling this is Jessica lockhart, Are the remaining Hex girl available? Their is something they should know..."


	11. Chapter 11: Dusk

**_As you can see I didn't finish typing chapter 11 till about today, sept 13, due to no internet at my home. Now I have Chapter 11 finished. I know I'm jumping between first person and third person a bit, but it is to give a full view of the story. I've gone though some of my earlier chapters and corrected something, for which I want to apologize for. Things have been hectic with work and school lately, but I'm still pushing forward with completing 'Dusk' as best as I can. For those who are wondering I'm from the southern united states so my dialect is in full swing with my typing style and speech. _**

**_Thank you all for coming and reading my work, -Dresner_**

* * *

"What in the fuck is going on!?" I shouted at the top of my lungs in a blood rage at the fact that my truck was gone. "She comes in her and plays us like we were fools! Now here we are! Is the stage alright!? Get some guys on that now! Check the cash, the booze, and everything! Now!" I barked to everyone as they scattered out across the area to quickly check everything. Dusk stayed right by my side as Jon and Sandra scattered out to check everything, "What was this about?" I asked dusk as we walked to the stage. "She said that your father blew the whistle on the acts of Destroido poisoning the land, told the government, and had them sued for like 80 mill! So her mother, wendy, goes after your father and your family. They split you up and had him knocked out to break all of you up!" Dusk said as if she was revealing a world conspiracy.

It was... A lot to take in... All of this was because my father did something right... "What the fuck is going on in this world?" I asked her in a whisper... "It doesn't matter! We are going to save our home and the bar tonight!" Dusk protested, stomping her boot on the ground. Anger consumed me, How dare her? How dare jessica come here just to wreak us! I could only see red where ever I was and over looked dusk as I marched to the stage to take checks on the stage and everything to get my mind off of all of this.

I couldn't help but kick myself to not notice the resemblance between wendy and jessica so late in my life, If I knew this back then I wouldn't gone though the Cheating, the lying, and the blackmailing that made my name worth nothing but the shoes on my feet. The feeling of a knife driving into my back and the taste of steel in the back of my throat dominated my body as I made the checks on the stage and the equipment. Betrayal and the burning hatred of the Lockheart's dominated my thoughts... "Karl..." Dusk said softly as she put her hand on my shoulder. I could feel her energy flow through my shoulder and into my body. It was warm... Friendly and kind, words that anyone besides myself would use to describe the usually cold and distant Dusk who I came to fall for only a year ago. "I... I didn't mean to..." She said, rather unsure of herself like as if she was stepping over herself. I put my finger on her lips, "You did nothing, my dear. You told me what was going on, Thank you..." I said in a compassionate conversational tone as my hand drifted away from her face and to a guitar case. I opened the case and pulled out a black guitar and began to tune it carefully. Dusk was confused with me and looked at me strangely.

"Karl, what is happening with you? You were ready to kill someone one a few seconds ago and now your calm? Are you like Bi-poler or something?" She asked me rather rudely and annoyed. "Baby girl, If it's one thing I know about Jessica... Its that she can not follow through with anything. She's up to something and we are going to find out what..." I explained with a grin on my face as I Finished tuning my guitar and putting it back in the case.

"Karl! Everything is fine, but we need a female for vocals!" Jon said as Sandra and him ran up the steps to meet us. "Sandra, can you sing lead vocals?" I asked her quickly. "I can't play bass and sing at the same time, I've tried it and It turned up bad for me! Never again!" She said bluntly as she began speaking with her hands, A sigh that she was 100% against it. "I can do male lead easy, but we need a female lead for other songs."

"Uhh Helllloooo! Eco-Goth Rockstar right here! Let me sing!" Dusk said confidently with a hint of Diva in her voice. "Are you sure dusk? I mean I can try to sing..." Sandra said before I gave a nod to dusk. "Sandra, Dusk may have been a back up singer, but her voice is one of the most beautiful things I've ever herd. Your what bassists dream to be, so we need to stick to our strengths." I said firmly. "Then who is going to be our drummer?" Jon asked me. "Dusk will and when we need a female lead she will take over vocals. Jon, my brother, your a drummer and bro we will only need a second guitarist for the Power metal songs."

Jon nodded, but soon brought up what were we going to do about my truck. "Bro, what are we going to do about the truck? That's your baby!" "Its just a truck, just look at all the people here!" I said looking over all the cars parked in the field just to the side of the bar. "Their is at least three hundred plus people here! After we pay off the corporate tab, we might have enough to put toward the park, the bar, and maybe ourselves if we're lucky." I said with a sly smile.

"YEAH!" We cheered as curtain call came closer and closer. The weather had cleared though out the day, seemed as if the Blizzard has passed us. Their were only a few clouds in the darkening sky as the sun began to disappear behind the horizon. The sky was marked with beautiful shades of Orange, red, and pink against the winter sky. I looked on at the beauty of the new england sky as the shades of orange and red began to shine off of the snow and the chrome of the cars in the field near by. A light breeze graced my face and the smell of burning oak filled the breeze as the the sight of people huddled together around fires in and around the parking lot. People were smiling and drinking in anticipation for the show to come.

I couldn't blame them!

"Lets rock this thing!" Dusk said, grabbing a pair of drum sticks.

* * *

"I hope Dusk is alright..." Luna said, worried about her sister. Thorn rolled her eyes, "She left us Luna, we should just leave her here." Thorn said as she looked out the window of their tour bus as the large oak tree whizzed by them. "Thorn, She's our sister. She's always been ever since..."

"Don't remind me..." Thorn sighed as she flipped her long black hair over her shoulder as she was thinking of lyrics for a new song. Luna was a little concerned over thorn's cold posture toward Dusk. It was strange to see her like this, was fame really getting to her sister? It wasn't to long ago when they were filming in Romania for 'Wanna wed by I fled' when they fighting like this because of some creep chasing them. Dusk wanted to leave then, but she stayed with the girls afterward. Something spoked Dusk into leaving for good, or at least she hoped that she didn't leave for good.

Luna sighed and brought out a smaller key board from one of her personal cases and began to practice to pass the time. Thorn was struggling with her writing and became irritated with it all and finally threw her notepad on the floor. She startled her sister luna as she jumped to her feet and ran to the back of the bus to her room and slammed the door behind her. "Thorn what's going on?" She asked as she knocked on the door. Thorn didn't answer and turned on one of their more sadder songs to drown out the sound of her sister. Luna could not help but shake her head from


	12. Chapter 12: Shock, Awe, Love, and Loss

_**I have no internet at home so my updates are from monday till friday, but my writing is uninterrupted. So far I've finished Chapters 12-13 and WILL be posted today, Sept 16th, and I might be finished with Chapter 14 today and finish Dusk completely. I'm finding contestant view ship from Britain and I would love to hear from you. **_

_**If I have one review, Just one, I'll write a sequel to the story. PM me if you have ideas**_

_**Note- I own nothing but my characters. All credit goes to those who wrote the songs and the creation of the Hex girls.**_

_**With love, Dresner**_

* * *

The sun dropped below the sky line and the light of the moon and the heavens brighten the night sky above us. A cold wind graced our faces as the four of us stood on the raged and cobbled together stage with the feeling of electricity buzzing through our bodies as we readied ourselves on stage for the show. I couldn't help but feel a cocktail of fear and courage, anger and happiness, hope and hopelessness flood my mind and appear in my eyes like a film at the cinema. All of my thoughts, dreams, emotions, and dread played though my eyes till finally a feeling of ease and calm rushed though my body from my head to down to my feet.

'Its time to finish this once and for all.' I said to myself as the feeling of ease was determination and confidence coursing though my body as I readied for the show. The feeling was shared amongst us as I looked into the eyes of all of my friends as they got ready.

"What's first?" Jon asked me as stood with his guitar in hand. "Paralyzed, send a message to Destroido that we're not paralyzed." I said as the crowd began to gather around the stage with drinks in their hand and yelled out titles to songs. But I just smiled and grabbed the microphone to address the crowd. "What is up upstate new york!? Welcome to Black tuesday our little home away from home and we want you to feel the same! Have some beers and we'll get the mood going with a little red line chemistry!" I yelled into the mic as we began.

How long did you intend to carry the flame?

Just a little pretentious, don't you think?

No conversation, so I guess we'll take it on our own

So you keep your arrogant lies

While we're breaking barriers down

Call us brothers divided

You know it's wrong

You love to say that we just threw it away

You took the high road when you walked away

We'll live to fight another day in the game

Whatever comes our way

We're not paralyzed

We're not paralyzed

We were in full swing with the crowd as the passion of the music combined with our determination to save Black Tuesday fueled our hearts as the cords, the beat, the music, and the defiant nature of the song brought us and the crowd together.

I took a heavy breath as we finished the song and I could see the look of excitement on the faces of my friends as we readied for another song. "With me now." I said as I turned to the crowd and signaled the red headed jerico to bring up a key bored for the next song.

"Yeah! Now that we're not all Paralyzed lets see if your with me now with a little Blacklite district!"

Got no time for my game, I put it on the shelf

and this money and fame ain't gonna earn itself

I'm not wasting my time, you better recognize

The flame, the hustle, the pain, the redness in my eyes

When the pressure comes down you throw the towel in

But for me and my crew, that's where the work begins

As the hours past we finished almost eight songs ranging from bands like Red light kings to Metallica, Sour Soul to Avenge sevenfold, and even european bands like Raubtier to Eisbrecher! The crowd was complete metal heads, goth, and even a few punk rockers in the mix. But the one thing that really brought in the crowd was a couple of Hex girl songs sung by Dusk who put a little touch to them. She was in her element and I could see the fire in her once again just like she was on any stage whither it was a high class stage in new york or nevada or even a ragged stage like one here in the middle of nowhere.

Dusk was back to her former glory and everyone on stage could see it, but yet I could see a rare bit of remorse in her eyes though all her joy. After we finished the final bit of Lai Lai Hei! by the viking metal band Ensiferum, I pulled Dusk from the drums and told Jon to cover drums.

"Baby girl this is your chance to show off, Love bites will be our next song. Are you up to it?" I asked her as the show stopped for a brief moment. The crowd was cheering louder and louder as they saw Dusk look around me. Her face lit up like the summer sun and she said most invigorated, "You better believe it!" She cheered as she ran to the mic.

"Can I get a fuck yeah from black tuesday!?" She screamed into the mic as a tsunami of screams and whissles came from the crowd. "Its great to make a come back to my lovely fans and I want to say I love you all..." Dusk said as she pointed her head to ground and her bangs briefly covered her face. But soon she returned with a evil grin, "But, you know what they say about love... LOVE BITES!" She shouted as she counted down for our final song.

Don't listen what your girlfriend says

She reads those magazines

That say you failed the test

You don't what have what she needs

I Slither like a viper

And get you by the neck

I know a thousand ways to help you

Forget about her

That Bitch can eat her heart out

Love bites, but so do I, so do I!

Dusk was inthralled in the in your face song that was Love bites. In the loving lyrics of the song she would grace me with her touch and flirt with me on stage. It was amazing! The crowd loved it! Dusk was killing the original vocals and making it her own with her natural veracity and fierceness in her voice. As the song came to end she brought me close to her and we locked lips right on stage in front of an awe struck crowd.

Everyone gave a sweet 'Awww' and cheer for her as she turned to the crowd and gave a bow as we all did. "Thank all of you who came out to support us today! I want to take one special person tonight and that is our guitar player, karl." She said with a heavy heart to the crowd. "When I left the Hex girls, I was alone out in the cold. He took me in and soon I realized that I knew him from way back. He brought me in and showed me this little collection of people that he called his family. Word can not express how thankful I am that he helped me and I'm glad that we are together now..." Dusk said as unabashed tears of joy fell from her face as she turned to me.

"I love you Karl..." She said as our lips locked one last time in the moon light. As we kissed the crowd erupted in a roar of joy over this display of affection toward one another. Dusk has changed over the last couple of days, all of us could tell. She was a little more warm toward people, including her new friends that she had met and played in the band with. She meant it all... I knew it in my heart with out a doubt in my mind or soul... She was the one.

Dusk stood in the light of stage with the sound of the crowd cheering her on in the background as her and her lover karl made out in the middle of the stage. All her doubts, fears, and faults seemed to melt away as their lips met. Dusk could feel something erupt in her heart and she could feel a fire burn through her chest.

'Is this what love is?' She thought to herself as they broke from their kiss and looked into each others eyes and turned to the crowd to wave off the stage. Hand in hand they walked off stage with Sandra and Jon right behind them. Soon a smiling eddy came to them with a look of pride on his face. Dusk couldn't help but smile as he approached and was rather happy to see him.

"Everyone, I have news! We have knocked over our goal and we are sitting on over 45 thousand! We beat em!" He yelled as we all cheered in joy at our accomplishment. "Lets get some drinks! On the house!" I yelled in joy as we all cheered and whistled.

"Guys look at those trucks!" Dusk called to us and pointed at two black SUV's with a large red D painted on the side of them. They pulled near us and a window rolled down,

"Ahh Mr. Dael, pleasure to see you again. I see that your event went well. How much did you bring to my land?" The arrogant voice of said coldly as he sat in the luxury of his custom SUV. "Enough to get OUR land, park, and bar back! Now get out of the car so we can discuss business like gentlemen instead of gentleman to jackass." I called out to him with hate flipping off every word. "Such a backwards hick you are! 30,000 in cash or no deal!" The arrogant business man said though his window.

"Eddy! Get the money!" I yelled to eddy as I stared down Mr. Lockhart. Eddy ran to the bar to collect the money to pay him off, while him and I stayed behind. "Why do you even want this place? It's nothing to you!" I shouted at him with Jon in agreement. "Are you an idiot, Mr. Dael?" He asked me bluntly. "Of course you are, but none the less. This area holds some of the riches farmland in all of rural new york and could be used for my corporations agricultural department for our means. But the farms around the area refuse to cooperate with me. So I had my daughter forge a signature of your drunk manager jimmy for a cheap price."

"Where's the contract?" I demanded with my fists clenched in anticipation at wanting to beat the hell out of this man. Lockhart gave me a contract and I began to read though the contract to see that it was real. I signed the contract and threw the case through the window to the fucker and flipped him off.

"Get the hell out of here..." I said coldly as we turned and went to the bar. Lockhart left with his blacked out SUV's and was never seen again. I didn't care at all about him or his slut daughter. I remembered the pictures me and sandra took and we made sure that her reputation was trashed for the century. "Now Jimmy can say that he fucked the industry." Sandra said was we walked into the bar and took a seat in an empty booth.

Everyone cleared out by now and all was quiet, it was perfect. "Karl, shouldn't we be a little worried about who signed Jimmy's name? I mean they could do it again!" Dusk said urgently. "It might have been jessica, I know jim's Ex-wife wouldn't have done that. She's a good woman at heart, it was the drinking that broke them apart. Speaking of which, where is jimmy?" I said calmly reaching for a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Karl! Buddy! So... So glad to hear from you! Didddd.. Diidd we?" Jimmy said drunkenly

"Yeah Jim, we kicked their ass and raised over 45K. We got a little visit from Lockhart and he took thirty thousand of it. Everything is signed in my name and I'll sign it over to you when you get here. Where are you bud?"

"Parking lot!" Jimmy yelled over the phone as the sound of screeching tires and tossing gravel came from outside. We rushed outside just as eddy placed the beers on the table we were out the door. The amber lights of the street lights brighten our view as we saw a black toyota pickup truck sat in the parking lot. "It's your truck karl!" We shouted as we rushed to my truck and dragged jimmy out with joy.

"I found your truck!" Jimmy said falling out of the truck with a bottle of booze in his hand. "That... Barbie dollll left it on the side of the road... So I brought it back! Thank you Karl for saving my ass... again!" Jimmy cheered as he ran to the bar for more drinks.

Sandra and Jon followed Jimmy in while Dusk and I stood outside together and checked my truck. "Can't believe he brought it back in one piece." Dusk said in amazement as there wasn't even a scratch on my little tacoma. "Yeah me either... Hey Baby girl?" I asked her with a lump in my throat as my thoughts began to run over a mile a second. "Yes my love?" She asked me in her soft caring voice that only a handful of people have herd. "I want to say thank you... Thank you for everything.. You saved us from losing our homes and..."

"I didn't save the day, We did. We all did and I should Thank you for everything you've done for me. You gave me a home and you taught me things that I wish I knew before..." Dusk said as she took my hands and held them tightly as the words she spoke seemed to open her to reveal her soul. She struggled for a moment to find the words, but they just seemed to come off her tongue naturally.

"You taught me to love the people I'm with and to help others around me. You took me in when no one else would and treated me as if I was your family. Just like when Mr. Mcknight took us in all those years ago..." Dusk was crying as her shell fell off and the chip she held on her shoulder was finally filled after all those years of pain. I whipped the tears off her face and gave her a reassuring smile. "Muffy... You are family, You've always have been apart of our family ever since I met you. We're all from the south, Jon, Eddy, Sandra, and I come from a land where anyone who is in need or anyone is apart of our family. Regardless of who they are, what they believe, or anything. We love you Muffy and always will. Mcknight and your sisters are apart of this family as well and will always be. We're here for you no matter what and so am I." I promised to her as more tears appeared on her face and she opened her arms to me and hugged me. "Your my girl, Muffy. Always remember that..." I said as I held her tight as she pressed her head against my chest. "But I have to ask, Where were you doing when you walked out of the tour bus?" I asked her calmly.

"Nowhere... just away from everything... Looking for a home..." She said with a sniffle as she wiped the tears from her face. She hates crying, anyone could tell that it was the case. "Then you offered me a ride to where ever and from then I knew you would always be their for me. It's weird and I know you think I'm a freak, but..." I put my finger on her lips like she had done to me before and gave a warm smile.

"Your not a freak, your you. Thats all you are is you and that is what I love about you. Your not the 'Miss everything' or the 'Miss special', your like me. Fierce and outspoken, arrogant at times and quiet about yourself. You hold your own and your not afraid to get in someones face or break it. Its you who I love, not your fame, and it was the same way back in the day. When your sweet and loving, you mean it and the fact that you rarely show it makes it even better. Your everything I ever wanted Dusk..."

I couldn't stop myself from pouring out to her, I was red in the face and embarrass at myself for doing it but I didn't regret it. "Your everything I would ever dream for karl..." Dusk said with a snicker as she saw the look on my face. Even though she gave a laugh, I could tell that she meant what she said.

Dusk then walked toward the front door with a snicker on her face, "Come on klokatier, lets get wasted!" She shouted as she walked backwards to the door. As she turned around to open the door I threw a snow ball at her back and scared her a little. Snow covered her back as I gave her a grin, "Oh its on!" She said, grabbing some snow and throwing it at me. We threw snow balls at each other, laughing and playing around as if we were kids at the playground. We played around till finally we walked into the bar covered in snow and laughing.

Everyone was wondering where we were and we told them we were just playing around with each other, they gave us some looks but we knew better. I took a beer in my hand and hosted it into the air like a victorious hero returning home. "Everyone I want to say thank you. Thank you for all you've done today and for days gone by. We could have thrown the towel in and left ourselves to each others own life. But no, we stayed strong and went on stage with nothing but our hearts and minds and we rocked it! I will say this though, The last couple of days have kicked my ass!" I said with a laugh as we cheered. "Here's to Jimmy, Here's to black tuesdays, Here's to faith, and Here's to us!" With beers in the air with toasted to us and to the night.

"I think this is the place." The hex girls driver, james, said as their tour bus pulled into the parking lot of Black tuesday. "Look at the stage over their. That drum set is high grade, Dusk must still be here." Luna said as her and Thorn exited the bus. "I'll stick back here and keep the motor running." James said as he closed the door. Thorn rolled her eyes and they treed through the snow. Thorn wore a black north face jacket with a red scarf around her neck to keep her warm, As did luna but her scarf was purple. "I hope dusk is still here..." Thorn said, worried about her sister. "Is the cold cooling you down finally?" Luna asked with a snicker. Thorn gave a sarcastic laugh as they walked into the bar and to their surprise they found it dead besides a loud table with a rather familiar guy in a black jacket and boots holding a beer in the air near his table and cheering.

"Heres to us!" They herd him say as he finished his beer and swaggered to the bar with a smile. "Hey eddy, do you want to join us? It was you who get the gear together, take the rest of the night off and grab a drink with us." The man said with a smile. "Maybe later karl, right now we have customers." The bartender said, point to Thorn and Luna who stood their a little awkwardly. "Welcome to black tuesday girls, I'm karl. Nice to meet you." The man said, reaching out his hand to them with a warm smile. Thorn and Luna looked at each other and gave a smile back to him. "Nice to meet you to Karl, I'm Thorn. We've met before in Oakhaven about a year ago." Thorn said kindly as she shook Karl's hand. Karl gave a warm laugh and hugged both her and luna, which surprised him because he wasn't even drunk they could smell nothing on his breath. But for some reason they let him touch them, something was telling them that he was alright. That he was one of them...

"Baby girl! Their are two people I would like you to meet!" Karl called to his table and a familiar blonde in green stood up from the booth. She turned to them and all three of the girls dropped to the floor.

"DUSK! THORN! LUNA!" They all shouted.


	13. Chapter 13: Burying the hatchet

**_Think I was kidding? Nah, Heres chapter 13 and possible chapter 14 for ya. With love, Dresner_**

* * *

"Holy fuck y'all can scream!" I yelled as I picked at my ear to make sure I wasn't deaf. The Hex girls, all of them, were together in the bar and were posturing and fighting with one another over bullshit. "Why did you leave, Huh? Scared that something might murder us?! Yeah right!" Thorn boasted arrogantly. "I'm trying to make sure we are safe! While your so into the tour, your forgetting your sisters and your own safety!" Dusk yelled. Luna, along with the rest of us, was standing by and watching what was unfolding in front of us. This wasn't between Dusk and the whole band, it was between her and Thorn. Like two alpha dogs, they snipped and bit at one another mercilessly till Dusk rose her fist.

I jumped into the path of Dusk's oncoming punch to stop her from hitting her sister with a hard strike. Her punch was as hard as a on coming train and struck my jaw.. hard. A loud pop was herd though out the bar from her fist hitting my face, but I only stood there as she opened her eyes and saw me standing in front of her. "Karl! I'm sorry!" she shouted, but soon caught herself and postured herself to look tough in front of her sisters. "Uhh... What the fuck?!" Dusk yelled, but I stood their with a grin and spat on the floor with a little blood in it.

"Your not fighting anyone here in this bar, and that goes double for you Ms. Mcknight." I said as I turned to face the shocked faces of the other two hex girls. "I'm fine, its not like I haven't taken a punch before. Now, what in gods name are you two fighting over?" I asked them as I grabbed a beer off the table and washed the taste of blood out of my mouth. "And whatever it is, it better have been worth it to make you two want to kill each other! For the sake of everything, even I have fought with those I care for and I have never wanted to lose everything because of it." "Where the fuck do you come into any of this Karl? This is a private matter between us not you!" Thorn hissed.

"I'm just wondering what made her leave your band! If it was hatred of you then that is a load. She's said nothing bad about you and she even kept a locket with both you and Luna's picture in it. Now what is your side of the story?" I asked her bluntly. Dusk reached down to her dress and grabbed a golden locket to show it to Thorn. Thorn turned paler than usual and struggled to find words to come back at me with.

Luna stood back and observed what was unfolding in front of her. 'By the way he is posturing himself, he must be with Dusk. Only we have ever acted that way around her and each other.'

"Karl, thats enough..." Dusk said, coming to her sisters aid. "This is between me and her, Please let us settle this." Dusk said in a calm, but firm, conversational tone to me.

'She's protecting her... She doesn't hate her.' Luna though to herself. 'Something is different about her I can feel it.'

"Sure..." I said calmly as I sat down with everyone else and took a drink as they walked outside. Luna motioned me to come to her and we followed Dusk and Thorn as they walked out the door. "Are you and dusk..." "Yeah we are." I said as we listen in from a crack in the door.

"Sally... Ugh this hard for me... I was... I was.." Dusk struggled to admit. "Wrong? Yeah, you were. You should have never went that far to say anything about my mother. I would have never said anything like that to you and we both know that! What gave you the right to even think of something like that!?" Thorn was full red eyed from the anger that seemed to radiate from her body as she spoke.

"I said it to hurt you, the only thing I had in me was that... Hurtful..." Dusk pulled at her hair lightly as the memory of that faithful night played though her mind. "I... I'm... Sorry... I knew we made a promise that we wouldn't leave each other and I broke it... I'm sorry for everything Sally and I mean it, I mean it all." Dusk began to sob and she couldn't help but feel as if she was only two inches tall. She hated herself for what she said then and what she was saying no. Dusk never admitted weakness to anyone and when she did it torn into her like a steak through the heart of a vampire. Yet she couldn't help but wonder, how could she pour herself out to karl yet she couldn't do that for her sister.

Thorn was in shock, Dusk, out of all her family besides her father, was calling her by her first name. The cold and collected diva that she called her sister was finally admitting that she was wrong. Even though her sister was admitting her fault, she couldn't relish in her sisters pain and couldn't drag this out any longer. Thorn reached out to her sister and embraced her lovingly, "Don't leave us like that again... We were worried about you..." She said with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Muffy... I'm sorry for everything..."

"I'm sorry too Sally..." Dusk said returning the embrace with tears dripping down her face.

"You changed her Karl, I can see it." Luna said to me as the girls walked back to the front door. "I didn't change her, she changed herself." I said to Luna with a smile on my face, proud about what I was seeing in front of me. "Muffy must have picked up on me, I'm not sure." The door opened and the smiling faces of Thorn and Dusk brighten the room. Everyone at the table looked over in anticipation to either see brutal battle scares or good news. "So whats the verdict?" I asked thorn in a friendly tone, hoping to lighten the mood between me and her. Thorn looked at Dusk and then looked at me.

"The Hex girls are back!" She shouted to everyone in the bar as a loud cheer came from the table.

"Drinks on me!" Dusk shouted as she swaggered over to the table and pounded down a beer. "Hold on Dusk, We still got a show in Boston tomorrow..." Thorn protested till Luna gave her a beer, "That can wait, lets celebrate having our sister back and her having someone she can call her own." Luna said with a smile as she pointed at Dusk as she sat on karl's lap and flirted with one another as they drank together. "Are they?" Thorn asked shifting her finger from side to side at Dusk and Thorn.

"Yeah they are, So lets enjoy the night be for we have to get back on tour. He did us a favor with Dusk and now I think that we all need to unwind."


	14. Chapter 14: In the End we bow our heads

_**The Final Chapter for Dusk. Thank you all for reading my writing.**_

_**With love -Dresner**_

* * *

After a few drinks and the girls began feeling a little tipsy, me and my buddies offered to walk them to their bus but they refused. "Hey karl, Why not we play a few songs while the moon is still full?" Thorn asked me as she finished another shot. I gave a little chuckle, "Ms. Rockstar willing to play with a hack like me? Sure, why not." I said putting down another brew as we stood up to grab my guitar from my truck. "Got a acoustic guitar in that bus of yours?" I asked thorn as we walked outside. "I have a number of guitars I use. My favorite is the custom bat guitar my father gave me for christmas a few years ago." Thorn said as I opened the cab of my truck and retrieved my personal acoustic guitar.

As we entered the bus we found their driver fast asleep with his cap over his face and counting sheep. "What a drive you got, I hope the roadie is in better shape." I remarked as I entered the gothic/victorian themed tour bus. Thorn pressed a button near the back of the bus and took out a black and red acoustic guitar with a rose painted near the back. "We don't have a roadie, we usually do our work ourselves. James mostly moves our gear around, but that is now up for a change." Thorn said looking at the sleeping james. "Hmmmm." I hummed as we took out the door and grabbed my guitar from my truck.

As we entered the bar, Thorn and I took to the stage with our guitars in had. "Everyone I want to say Thank you once again for coming out to help us in our time of need. I want to thank Jon for being their and getting shit done as usual." I said with a laugh as I spoke into the microphone to the empty bar. Jon laughed and gave a round of applause. "I want to thank Sandra for taking time out of her bass career to help out a bunch of us rednecks to save our park. I want to thank Jimmy for being drunk as fuck, 24/7." "You bet your ass!" Jimmy screamed as her finished off another bottle of jack. "Thank eddy for the bounty of booze and getting the shit we need to make this happen, Your the man eddy you psycho old bastard. Thank his crew as well, and most all I want to say thank you to Dusk. Dusk, you've made an impression on us country folk and I hope we made one on you as well. I know once we're done here your back to touring the states, but I want you to know that you'll always have a place here in our hearts. Your always welcome here and you'll never be left alone in the cold again. I love you baby girl." I said with a heavy heart as thorn started playing a song that really matched the mood of the bar.

We could just go home right now

Or maybe we could stick around

For just one more drink, oh yeah

Get another bottle out

Lets shoot the shit

Sit back down

For just one more drink, oh yeah

I took over and in one of the most stereotypical country voice began to sing along with her. Our voice were perfectly in tune with one another as we both, and our brothers and sister, have gone though hell and It could be herd as we sung.

Here's to us

Here's to love

All the times

That we fucked up

Here's to you

Fill the glass

Cause the last few days

Have kicked my ass

So lets give em hell

Wish everybody well

Here's to us

Here's to us

Stuck it out this far together

Put our dreams through the shredder

Let's toast cause things got better

and everything could change like that

And all these years go by so fast

But nothing lasts forever

Here's to us

Here's to love

All the times

That we messed up

Here's to you

Fill the glass

Cause the last few nights

Have kicked my ass

If they give you hell

Tell em to go fuck themselves

Here's to us

Here's to us

Here's to all that we kissed

And to all that we missed

To the biggest mistakes

That we just wouldn't trade

To us breaking up

Without us breaking down

To whatever's come our way

Here's to us

Here's to love

All the times

That we fucked up

Here's to you

Fill the glass

Cause the last few days

Have kicked my ass

So let's give em hell

Wish everybody well

Here's to us

As the last few notes dissipated in the rafters of the bar, us and the Hex girls walked outside together for a long goodbye. In the time it took me and thorn to sing 'Here's to us' by halestorm, The girls and my buds made friends with each other and all drank together as if they had been friends since they were kids. They joked, laughed, and over all just enjoyed each others company. I couldn't help but think about how much Dusk has opened up over such a short amount of time. It wasn't to long ago that she was battling the cold in the dark winters night with a chip on her shoulder and now she's bright and happy.

Dusk hugged each one of us, besides jimmy who was passed out in the snow, and wished all of us the best. Luna and thorn were a little hesitant but they soon fell to the moment as well and did the same. But when she came to me we stood in the middle of the tour bus door and held each other tightly, not wanting to leave each other at all. We grew a bond over the last three days that was almost as strong as the bond that she shared with her sisters. It was tense, but it had to be done.

"Nooooo... I don't want to leave you please come with us! Come with us please!' Dusk begged and pleaded. "Baby girl, you'll be alright. Your destiny is with your sisters, regardless of what happens you and them were meant to be with each other. They wouldn't have taken you back if you didn't mean anything to them." I said firmly as we broke from each others arms. "Come on girls, we have a deadline to meet." James said with a yawn as he finally came to. "We're coming! Just hold on!" Dusk snapped at him. I gave a little laugh, "Still the same old Dusk I fell for. Baby girl, you'll be alright I know you will. Your tough as nails on the outside, but warm and loving on the inside. Just like me, balance it out and do the right thing and life will go your way. Remember this." I told her as I held her hand one last time.

"Come on Dusk, get on the bus!" James snapped at her. Dusk and I gave him a thousand year stare and he backed off. Thorn and Luna couldn't help but giggle at how me and her were. Dusk gave a sigh as her sisters walked on the bus, but thorn stayed near the stares and watched as we gave each other one last kiss.

"Everything is going to be alright, I know it will." I whispered to her as our lips left each other and we said our last goodbye. I watched as she walked up the stairs and turned back to make sure I was still their... I never moved a muscle and watched, fighting the tears in my eyes, as she moved slowly to the back off the bus. As I turned around I saw my friends back up to give me some breathing room. I couldn't fight the tears as all of the memories of losing everything in Alabama came back to me. 'Why does everything I care for, What I love and struggle for, always have to leave me in the end? Why?!' My mind screamed to me. But then the cold and hard reality coursed though my body and a odd feeling of calm came over me. This was the norm... In the end, my feelings are redundant and only my thoughts mattered.

'You did your deed... You saved our home and helped bring them together... Smile for once, eh?' I couldn't help but try to smile as I began to walk away.

"Karl," Thorn said with her hand on my shoulder. "We're always looking for a equipment manager and since you kind of helped us get back together..." Thorn reached into the pocket of her coat and brought out a card with their number on it. "Take it." I took the card and checked out the number. I was a little skeptical at first, but being cynical never helped me out before. "Thanks..." I said with a lump in my throat as I held back the voice screaming inside of me, telling me to just say yes and leave everything to start again. "I... I'll.. I'll Think about it." I said, struggling to sound firm but only succeed in giving away my sadness.

Thorn only gave a small smile, "Just remember what you told Dusk, You'll always have a place in our hearts as well." As Thorn walked into the bus and the door shut behind them. I couldn't help but stand silently as the roar of the diesel bus echoed around us as did the sweet goodbyes that were herd from my family of friends as the bus drifted into the darkness of the new england forests.


	15. Epilogue

The show came to a close as the Hex girls waved goodbye and thank you to the crowd for their generosity. "That had to be the best crowd we have had so far!" Dusk said with glee as she twirled her drum sticks in the air. "Yeah, they were pumped all night!" Luna said as they came to there dressing room. As usual they were large collections of gifts ranging from flowers, cards, and even a couple of boxes of chocolates. But one box took the attention of the girls away from normal gifts of the feminine nature.

The box was long and was covered in green raping paper with black bow and a green card with the band logo on it. Inside the card was a hand written letter.

'Dear babygirl,

I know I haven't spoken in awhile and I want to say I'm sorry. Things at the park have turned sour and over all things have taken a turn for the worse. But, I'm personally doing fine. Always a positive right?

I Digress, even though I lost everything I couldn't help but think of the time we spent together and I decided to give you something for you to remember me by besides nostalgia. This is just one of them.

With love and forever in your Heart,

Karl'

Dusk opened the box to find the sword of Dracula that hung in karl's room. Her sisters were a little awestruck to see the large sword and asked who would send her such a gift. Dusk told them the story of the sword and how It fit perfectly with their vampire like gimmick and their goth style. They marveled at it like children at a candy story, but dusk could only weep at the warm memories of those three days with him.

In a low, but loving, Voice she bowed her head.

"Thank you..."

"Your welcome baby girl."

* * *

_**I want to give a warm thank you to Hiddenwitch890 for giving me the inspiration to write a Hex girls fanfic. If it wasn't for her writing, I wouldn't have done this and I wish for all of you to check out her writing. I also want to give thanks to those who took the timeout of their day to read this story and I want to thank you all. I wish to write a sequel to this story and hopefully make it better than 'Dusk'. Please give me some feed back on this I would love it so.**_

_**With Love- Dresner**_


End file.
